Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov today warned that talks by some Western countries on the swift adoption of a tough United Nations resolution on Syria could wreck peace efforts.
He spoke after Britain, France and the United States at a Paris meeting agreed on the need for a "strong and binding" UN resolution on the transfer of Syria's chemical weapons to international control.
Lavrov said Russia opposed proposals by Western powers to swiftly pass a resolution including the use of force under Chapter Seven of the UN charter.
He called for the United States to adhere to the terms of the framework he and US Secretary of State John Kerry drew up in Geneva on Saturday.
Lavrov said that declarations "by some of our partners" that a resolution listing measures under Chapter Seven should be passed in the next few days "show lack of understanding of what we agreed on with John Kerry, and even unwillingness to read this document".
"Chapter Seven was the subject of fierce debates at the US-Russia talks. As a result, it is not in the final text, but our partners want to replay unilaterally what we agreed in Geneva with the Americans," Lavrov said.
He was speaking at a joint press conference with his Egyptian counterpart Nabil Fahmi in Moscow.
Referring to "announcements that are coming from European capitals," Lavrov said he was "convinced... The American side will firmly adhere, as a normal negotiating partner, to what was reached" at the Geneva talks.
He insisted that the US-Russian framework agreement offered a real "practical route" towards destroying Syria's chemical weapons.
He said that those who wanted to threaten Syria with strikes were choosing a strategy that could jeopardise future peace talks.
"If on the other hand, for someone it is more important to constantly threaten, to scare, to seek an excuse for strikes... Then that is also a route to wrecking completely the chances of calling the Geneva-2 conference," Lavrov said, referring to peace talks long proposed by Russia and the United States.
Lavrov and Kerry on Saturday announced a proposed deal under which Syria would hand over a list of its stockpiles within a week and would destroy its chemical weapons by mid-2014 after intensive talks that ran into a third day.
