(17 Feb 2014) The Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov reiterated Moscow's support for the United States to work directly with the Syrian government instead of asking Russia to impose pressure on Damascus.
Speaking in Moscow during a joint news conference with his Eritrean counterpart, Lavrov said the majority of the problems in Syria came not from the government, but from "those extremist terrorist groups which have multiplied in Syria."
Comments by Lavrov came as US Secretary of State John Kerry accused Syrian President Bashar Assad of stonewalling in peace talks and called on Russia to push its ally to negotiate with opposition leaders.
Peace talks last week in Geneva ended with no progress toward breaking the impasse in the nearly 3-year-old conflict in Syria.
"Speaking of political pressure, we have always come out in favour of the United States direct work with the authorities of the Syrian Arab Republic," Lavrov said.
Meanwhile, at UN headquarters in New York, Security Council experts met on Friday to start what are expected to be difficult negotiations on a resolution demanding immediate humanitarian access to all areas of Syria.
A Western and Arab-backed text threatens sanctions if demands aren't implemented within 15 days, but a rival Russian text doesn't mention sanctions or any kind of
enforcement.
"Those who are demanding a strict resolution of the (UN) Security Council as the only way ... should probably use the (arms supply) routes to deliver food. They are doing this anyway in an illegal way, violating the sovereignty of the UN member state (Syria), so instead of guns, they can deliver bread and butter," Lavrov said.
Syria's conflict started as largely peaceful protests against Assad in March 2011 but later degenerated into a civil war in which more than 140-thousand people have been killed, according to activists.
Washington and its European and Persian Gulf allies are backing the opposition in Syria's conflict.
Russia and Iran are supporting Assad's government.
Lavrov met with the Eritrean Foreign Minister Osman Saleh Mohammed to discuss plans to build academic and educational contacts with the east African country.

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