Moscow:
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said there was still "a chance for peace" in Syria as he prepared for high-stakes talks with his US counterpart on a plan for Damascus to give up its chemical weapons.
Before leaving for the talks in Geneva, Lavrov said during a visit to Kazakhstan that he was prepared to "ensure Syria's adherence to the chemical weapon ban convention," which would include the country's total disclosure of its chemical arms sites.
"I am sure that there is a chance for peace in Syria," Lavrov was quoted as saying by Russian news agencies in a speech at a university in the capital Astana. "We cannot let it slip away."
In a press conference with his Kazakh counterpart Yerlan Idrisov, Lavrov said US Secretary of State John Kerry and he "are not planning to usurp the work" on Syria by only working bilaterally. He said they were likely to also have a three-way meeting in Geneva with UN-Arab League Syria envoy Lakhdar Brahimi.
Lavrov also said that the talks could help move the planning for a long-mooted Geneva peace conference involving all warring parties to a "practical stage".
"Provided that our Western partners will ensure a constructive attitude by the uncompromising Syrian opposition" who have been reluctant to attend such a conference, he added.
Lavrov, whose country is a key ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, on Monday surprised world leaders by announcing a plan that could see the Syrian regime cede control over its chemical arsenal to international watchdogs, in a bid to avoid a US military strike.
Washington alleges that the Assad regime was behind a chemical attack on August 21 that killed more than 1,400 people near Damascus, including hundreds of children. Damascus and Moscow have blamed Syrian rebels for the attack.
Western officials have claimed that the sudden renewal of diplomatic efforts on Syria was the result of the military threats, but many have questioned whether Assad can be trusted to hand over his chemical weapons.
Before leaving for the talks in Geneva, Lavrov said during a visit to Kazakhstan that he was prepared to "ensure Syria's adherence to the chemical weapon ban convention," which would include the country's total disclosure of its chemical arms sites.
"I am sure that there is a chance for peace in Syria," Lavrov was quoted as saying by Russian news agencies in a speech at a university in the capital Astana. "We cannot let it slip away."
In a press conference with his Kazakh counterpart Yerlan Idrisov, Lavrov said US Secretary of State John Kerry and he "are not planning to usurp the work" on Syria by only working bilaterally. He said they were likely to also have a three-way meeting in Geneva with UN-Arab League Syria envoy Lakhdar Brahimi.
Lavrov also said that the talks could help move the planning for a long-mooted Geneva peace conference involving all warring parties to a "practical stage".
"Provided that our Western partners will ensure a constructive attitude by the uncompromising Syrian opposition" who have been reluctant to attend such a conference, he added.
Lavrov, whose country is a key ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, on Monday surprised world leaders by announcing a plan that could see the Syrian regime cede control over its chemical arsenal to international watchdogs, in a bid to avoid a US military strike.
Washington alleges that the Assad regime was behind a chemical attack on August 21 that killed more than 1,400 people near Damascus, including hundreds of children. Damascus and Moscow have blamed Syrian rebels for the attack.
Western officials have claimed that the sudden renewal of diplomatic efforts on Syria was the result of the military threats, but many have questioned whether Assad can be trusted to hand over his chemical weapons.
© Thomson Reuters 2013
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