Russia proceeds from the need for rigorous respect for Syria’s sovereignty and the inadmissibility of Israeli shelling of Syria’s territory, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told Egypt’s Al-Ahram newspaper, TASS reports.
"Our principled stance concerning shelling Syria’s territory has remained unchanged. We have always clearly expressed our attitude to that. We proceed from the need for strict respect for Syria’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity. We are opposed to turning the country’s territory into a scene of armed standoff between various regional players," he said when asked to comment on remarks by some political analysts about softening Moscow’s stance on Israeli shelling.
"During our contacts with all parties concerned, we highlight the importance of preventing an upsurge in tensions and the dangerous escalation of the situation in Syria, which are fraught with negative consequences for both neighboring countries and the Middle East region in general," Lavrov stressed.
Russia’s top diplomat noted that Russia, cooperating with Iran and Turkey, contributed to work to set up a de-escalation zone in Syria’s south and southwest. "Now these areas are under the control of the Syrian government. Russian military police officers help maintain law and order there," Lavrov added.
