di Redazione
Russia accused Britain and France of throwing a political wrench in the wheels of a proposal to send United Nations inspectors to investigate the use of chemical weapons in Syria.
“Under continued pressure from certain Western members of the Security Council, the general secretary has not dispatched the experts, and I consider this absolutely unacceptable. It’s an attempt to politicize the issue”, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told reporters on Tuesday in Brussels.
Speaking after a meeting with NATO foreign ministers, including US counterpart John Kerry, Lavrov said “chemical weapons inspectors should only be allowed to look into specific allegations and not be permitted to operate freely throughout the country, which would be a little too much”.
In parallel, he mentioned: “Syria should not face the repetition of the so-called “Iraqi scenario”, in which unconfirmed suspicions that Baghdad possessed weapons of mass destruction were enough for invasion”.
“The Syrian government confirmed its readiness to receive experts investigating a particular incident and readiness to receive experts in any place in Syria if there is specific information that chemical weapons could have been used there”, Lavrov said.
The Russian minister described the delays in sending a UN mission to investigate the reports of the use of chemical weapons in Syria as “an attempt to politicize the issue” and force the “Iraqi scenario” on Syria.
The foreign minister said allowing weapons inspectors to operate freely as Britain and France want would be “a little too much”.
For his part, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said “the situation in Syria has dramatically deteriorated” and “continues to pose a threat to regional stability,” and Kerry called on NATO members to boost material and political support to the Syrian opposition.
Source: News Agencies
