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Moscow opposes attempts to politicize Syria's chemical arms dossier: Lavrov

Wednesday, 11 October 2017 3:22 PM [ Last Update: Wednesday, 11 October 2017 3:36 PM ]

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (L) shows the way to his Syrian counterpart, Walid al-Muallem, during a meeting in Sochi, Russia, on October 11, 2017. (Photo by AFP)

Russia says it will “strongly oppose” any attempts to accuse the Syrian government of having a role in chemical weapons attacks in the Arab country.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov made the remarks in a meeting with his Syrian counterpart, Walid al-Muallem, in Russia's resort city of Sochi on Wednesday.

“We will also strongly oppose attempts to politicize the chemical [weapons] dossier, [as well as] attempts to verbally, [and] without any professional investigation, accuse the Syrian government of involvement in a whole range of chemical weapons incidents that took place on the territory of your country,” Lavrov said during the meeting.

He added that “attempts to politicize the situation in Syrian in the UN General Assembly and the Human Rights Council are continuing, as well as attempts to put forward one-sided approaches and attribute blame.” The Russian foreign minister emphasized that his country would “firmly stand" against such measures.

On April 4, dozens of people were killed in a chemical attack in the Syrian town of Khan Shaykhun in the northwestern province of Idlib.

The United States and its allies were quick to accuse Syrian government forces of carrying out the attack. The Syrian army, however, said that “it has never used them (chemical weapons), anytime, anywhere, and will not do so in the future.”

The Syrian government handed over its entire chemical stockpile under a deal negotiated by Russia and the US back in 2013. The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) oversaw the operation to remove the chemical arsenal from Syria and destroy it.

Members of Russian and Syrian delegations led by foreign ministers, Sergei Lavrov (1st R) and Walid Muallem (1st L), take part in a meeting in Sochi, Russia, October 11, 2017. (Photo by AFP)

Elsewhere in his remarks and referring to the advances against terrorists made by the Syrian army with Russian air support, Lavrov said “preparing for a political solution [to the ongoing crisis in Syria] becomes more pressing" following such advances.

Syria has been gripped by foreign-backed militancy since March 2011. The Syrian government says the Tel Aviv regime and its Western and regional allies are aiding Takfiri terrorist groups wreaking havoc in the country.

Russia has been conducting air raids against the positions of Daesh Takfiri terrorists and other groups in the country upon the Damascus government’s request since September 2015.

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