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The
Russian Foreign Ministry says Moscow will not allow the European Union to
inspect ships sailing under the Russian flag, and that it will not cooperate
with a new round of EU sanctions imposed against Syria.
“We
do not plan to take any part in measures carrying out European Union decisions
directed against Syria,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement
issued on Saturday.
“Among
other things we will not consider requests and give consent to the search of
ships sailing under the Russian flag, nor to the use of other restrictive
measures,” the statement added.
On
July 25, Moscow condemned the new round of European Union sanctions against
Damascus, saying the measures taken by the European Union “can be considered a
declaration of a sea and air blockade of Syria.”
“Russia
does not recognize them (sanctions) and believes them to be
counter-productive.”
The
Saturday Russian Foreign Ministry statement was issued on the same day when
Syrian security forces began a major operation from the south-western outskirts
of Aleppo to clear the city of foreign-sponsored armed rebels.
There
have also been reports of clashes between Syrian troops and rebels in the
northern province of Idlib.
Meanwhile,
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in a joint press conference with
his Japanese counterpart Koichiro Gemba in Moscow on Saturday that the Syrian
government needs to “make some first gestures.”
“But
when the armed opposition are occupying cities like Aleppo, where yet another
tragedy is brewing as I understand… it is not realistic to expect that they
(the government) will accept this,” Lavrov stated.
“Our
Western partners… together with some of Syria’s neighbours are essentially
encouraging, supporting and directing an armed struggle against the [Syrian
government].”
Many
people, including large numbers of security forces, have been killed in the
turmoil in Syria since March 2011.
The
anti-Syria Western regimes have been calling for Syrian President Bashar
al-Assad to step down, but Russia and China remain strongly opposed to the
Western drive to oust Assad.
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