Moscow Slams Friends of Syria Rebel Arms Pledge
MOSCOW, June 24 (RIA Novosti) - Moscow on Monday strongly condemned the decision by Western and Arab nations in the Friends of Syria group to supply weapons to the rebel forces fighting the Bashar Assad regime in Syria.
These plans are “completely at odds” with the goal of a political settlement in Syria, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem said on Monday the decision will do nothing to resolve the conflict and only lead to more bloodshed and violence.
Ministers from the 11 main countries in the group agreed on Saturday "to provide urgently all the necessary material and equipment to the opposition on the ground," they said in a statement following talks in Qatar. The participant nations will each deliver supplies and support to the rebels independently as they see fit, the group said, but all assistance will be channeled through the Free Syrian Army headed by General Salim Idriss.
The group includes Britain, Egypt, France, Germany, Italy, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the US, and Turkey.
MORE...
http://en.rian.ru/russia/20130624/181844753/Moscow-Slams-Friends-of-Syria-Rebel-Arms-Pledge.html
