Russia, Iran oppose foreign interference in Syria

Maryland Leader (IANS) Wednesday 22nd February, 2012

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and his Iranian counterpart Mahmoud Ahmadinejad have spoken out against foreign interference in Syrian internal affairs.

Medvedev and Ahmadinejad Wednesday discussed the "dramatic situation" in Syria in a telephonic conversation, where both presidents "urged the resolution of the current crisis by Syrian people using only peaceful means and without any foreign interference," the Kremlin said in a statement.

"The sides agreed that the main goal today is to prevent a civil war in the country, which may destabilize the situation in the whole region," the statement said.

Earlier in the month, Russia and China vetoed a UN Security Council resolution on Syria that called on President Bashar al-Assad to step down. Thirteen of the council's 15 members voted in favour of the resolution to help stop the violence in Syria.

Syria has been the scene of continuous anti-government protests for almost a year. According to the UN, more than 5,400 people have died in the unrest. Syrian authorities say over 2,000 military and law enforcement officials were killed in clashes with well-armed militants.

--IANS/RIA Novosti

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