MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The claims that the Syrian authorities used chemical weapons should be double-checked, they are not proven completely, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Thursday.
"The initiatives aimed at condemning the Syrian government, isolating it from the international community, also send a signal to the opposition that there is no need to hurry… I think this does not help our common interests," Lavrov said.
"Regarding cases of chemical weapons use — we speak for any information, any suspicions and reports to be immediately investigated," he told a news conference.
France's initiative on a meeting of countries supporting Syrian opposition would not be useful for resumption of intra-Syrian dialogue, Lavrov said.
"We have heard about the proposal to hold a meeting of countries supporting Syrian opposition. But it would probably be leading us somewhat astray from the fulfillment of the task set by the [UN] Security Council in Resolution 2254, namely an immediate start of intra-Syrian inclusive talks, that is with participation of the opposition and government," the minister said.
In August 2013, an unprecedented chemical weapons attack, which killed over 1,300 civilians, took place in Ghouta, a suburb of the Syrian capital of Damascus. Militants and Assad’s government blamed each other for the attack.
Despite the lack of conclusive evidence, a number of governments, including France, the United Kingdom and the United States, were quick to blame the Syrian government for the incident.
Damascus reacted by claiming the report failed to provide conclusive evidence of its culpability. Russia’s Foreign Ministry also expressed regret over the finding, saying it could heighten anti-Syrian sentiment within the UN Security Council and the OPCW.
