Lavrov Dismisses 'Rumors' of Syria Chemical Arms
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov warned Tuesday that deploying Patriot missiles along Turkey's border with Syria risked pouring more arms into the region, and dismissed fears of Damascus using chemical weapons.
Russia recognized Turkey's right to ask for help from its NATO allies, Lavrov said, but added: "We are concerned that the conflict is being increasingly militarized."
Ankara has formally asked its NATO partners to deploy the U.S.-made anti-missile system after a series of cross-border shelling, including one that left five civilians dead on October 3.
"Any such deployment is creating the risk that these arms will be used," Lavrov told journalists after a meeting of the NATO-Russia council.
NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen told Lavrov during the meeting that the decision on the Patriots was likely to come later Tuesday.
Lavrov also sought to dismiss fears that the Syrian regime of President Bashar Assad would use chemical weapons, saying it was not the first time there were such "rumors and leaks" and they should "not be overstated."
"Yes there were artillery strikes, but we believe they were not intentional," he said, referring to the cross-border shelling.
Moscow is a staunch ally of Damascus, routinely blocking resolutions against Assad's regime at the U.N. Security Council, while Ankara's relationship with its neighbor has collapsed over the conflict.
Lavrov said every time Moscow heard reports about Syrian chemical arms "we engage in responsible" steps to verify the information "and we get the reply that nothing is being prepared."
Russian President Vladimir Putin warned Monday that deploying U.S.-made Patriot missiles on Turkey's volatile border would exacerbate tensions with Syria.
"Creating additional capabilities on the border does not defuse the situation but on the contrary exacerbates it," Putin told a press conference with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan after talks in Istanbul.
Source: Agence France Presse
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