Lavrov: Russia concerned over some countries' disregard of UNSC investigation in al-Houla events

MOSCOW– Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, said on Tuesday that Russia is concerned over some countries' disregard of the UN Security Council's call for investigating al-Hola events in Syria, adding that some countries are exploiting these events to propose military measures.

At a press conference in Moscow, Lavrov added that these countries are pressurizing the Security Council, however, the plan of UN envoy to Syria, Kofi Annan, seems to be hindering them.

He expressed Russia's sympathies with the countries which hosted Syrian refugees who numbered up to 150 thousand people, but he pointed out that other countries are trying to exploit the issue of refugees as a pretext for military intervention.

Lavrov denounced Burhan Ghalion's statement in which he openly called on all Syrian opposition factions to continue what he called "the liberation strife until the Security Council agrees on military intervention."

Lavrov pointed out that Ghalion's statement is a direct provocation for a civil war, adding that such acts contradict with Annan's plan which stipulates for unifying the opposition to start dialogue with the authorities, not unifying the opposition to start a civil war.

Lavrov: Objective and Unbiased Investigation into al-Houla Massacre

Later during a phone call with the UN Special Envoy, Kofi Annan, Lavrov called for objective and unbiased investigation into al-Houla massacre in Homs countryside.

Russia Today website quoted the Russian Foreign Ministry as saying that Lavrov expressed deep concern over the tragedy and stressed the need for all Syrian sides to immediately halt violence to avoid the repetition of such incidents in the future.

"In the current stage, it is necessary to conduct an objective and unbiased investigation into the circumstances of the incident under the auspices of the UN observer mission," said Lavrov.

Gatilov: No Alternative to Diplomatic Solution to Crisis in Syria

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov stressed that there is no alternative to the diplomatic solution to the crisis in Syria.

Gatilov's remarks came during his meeting with the US Ambassador in Moscow Michael McFaul.

Russia Today website quoted the Russian Foreign Ministry as saying in a statement that Gatilov indicated that there is no alternative to the political diplomatic means to solve the crisis in Syria based on wide-ranging political dialogue without any foreign interference in Syria's internal affairs.

The statement added that all foreign parties who have influence on the stances of sides in Syria including the armed opposition should exert efforts to encourage them to start dialogue.

The Russian Foreign Ministry stated that the Russian side focused on the need for intensifying international support to implement the six-point plan of the UN Special Envoy to Syria, Kofi Annan, by all Syrian sides, reiterating Russia's support to the work of the international observer mission in Syria.

Gatilov reiterated Moscow's condemnation of the tragic incidents in al-Houla area in Homs countryside, stressing the need for conducting investigation into the incident.