Russia Says Determined to Prevent Libyan Scenario in Syria
The BRICS group of emerging powers are determined not to allow a Libyan-style solution to the crisis in Syria, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Sunday.
"If it's up to the BRICS, the Libyan scenario won't be repeated," Russian news agencies quoted Lavrov as saying in a joint press conference with his Brazilian counterpart Antonio Patriota.
"We are proposing that the U.N. Security Council firmly demands that all parties to the conflict respect human rights and begin talks," he said, referring to the BRICS -- Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
"We cannot incite the Syrian opposition to ignore dialogue," he said.
Moscow has consistently opposed sanctions against Syria and, like China, boycotted a U.N. Security Council meeting on sanctions against Damascus.
On Friday, the European Union imposed an embargo on Syrian oil exports, in order to stop a key revenue source for the regime of President Bashar al-Assad, in a move criticized by Syria's longtime ally Russia.
The EU oil embargo against Syria went into effect on Saturday a day after its adoption by the 27-nation bloc to punish the government for its brutal suppression of pro-democracy protests.
Moscow has also refused to stop selling arms to Syria, despite an appeal from U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who last month also called on China and India to step up pressure on Assad's regime, along with Moscow.
Source: Agence France Presse
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