* Lavrov says artificial deadlines don’t help
* Leave U.N. to judge Annan plane, minister says
MOSCOW April 2 (Reuters) – Russia on Monday chided Western
and Arab nations that set “ultimatums and artificial deadlines”
for ending the bloodshed in Syria and said it was not their
place to judge peace envoy Kofi Annan’s ceasefire plan.
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov’s remarks, quoted by Interfax
news agency, were aimed at the “Friends of Syria” which said in
Istanbul on Sunday that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad did not
have an open-ended opportunity to meet his commitments to Annan.
“Kofi Annan has a mandate from the (U.N.) Secretary General
and the Security Council. The Security Council will judge who
should implement his proposals, and how,” Interfax quoted
Lavrov as saying during a visit to Armenia.
“Ultimatums and artificial deadlines rarely help the
matter,” he was quoted as telling a news conference.
Security Council members China and Russia, as well as
Syria’s ally Iran, did not attend the meeting in Istanbul,
reflecting the divided international response to Syria’s crisis.
“We are trying to be friends for all Syrians and not only
for one part of the Syrian nation,” Interfax quoted Lavrov as
saying.
He added that Russia did not attend the conference because
the representatives of Assad’s government were not invited.
The peace plan includes demands for a ceasefire, the
immediate withdrawal of heavy armour from residential areas and
access for humanitarian aid.
Annan was due to brief the Security Council later on Monday
on his efforts to calm the conflict in which the U.N. estimates
Syrian security forces have killed more than 9,000 people and
rebels have killed 3,000 troops and police.
