Mansour from Russia: Foreign Meddling in Syria Deepens Crisis

Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour urged on Wednesday the need to halt the violence in Syria and launch political dialogue, which alone can help end the country's crisis.

He said: “Foreign meddling in Syria will only deepen the crisis and not end it.”

He made his remarks from Russia where he took part in the first Arab-Russian forum, which was attended by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and a number of officials.

“We have long warned of the flow of weapons into Syria and the funding of gunmen,” added Mansour.

“This has led to the emergence of armed groups and extremism, which is foreign to the culture and history of the peoples of the region,” noted the minister.

“Constructive national dialogue between the Syrian state and opposition should no longer be delayed,” he said, while highlighting the Geneva conference and the mission of United Nations and Arab League envoy Lakhdar Brahimi to end the crisis.

On this note, he urged Russia to continue its efforts and contacts with international powers, especially the United States, U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon, and Arab League, in order to launch dialogue between the Syrian regime and opposition.

Anti-regime protests erupted in Syria in March 2011, with the ruling regime cracking down on the demonstrators, leaving at least 70,000 dead.

Moscow, unlike other world powers, still keeps close ties with the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad and has infuriated the West and some Arab states by refusing to halt military cooperation with Damascus.

Ahmed Moaz al-Khatib, leader of the National Coalition umbrella opposition bloc, has offered to hold peace talks with Syria's Vice President Faruq al-Sharaa.

But his proposal has been rejected by the Syrian National Council, the main component of the Coalition, while the embattled regime in Damascus has yet to publicly respond to it.

For his part, Lavrov confirmed that Russia was working on agreeing a trip to Moscow by Khatib who has previously been unwilling to visit Russia over its past support for the regime.

"We are agreeing a date of a visit here by Khatib, which will probably happen at the start of March," he said.

He explained the diplomacy was aimed at "creating the conditions for the start of direct dialogue" between the regime and opposition.