Russia cannot be blamed for Syria crisis: Envoy

Clarifying on his country’s stand, the diplomat said, “Russia is trying to promote reconciliation and stability in the middle east and full elimination of the terrorist threat.  The Russian Federation is taking active measures to promote political settlement of the crisis in the Syria in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions.” 

Pointing out that the protests held in Chennai regarding the humanitarian crisis were based on misinformation, Kotov said, “Russia is not responsible for the Syrian crisis. Falsified photo and video materials are being published in social networks and other media.” 

Based on this misinformation, distorted data and false allegations about situation in Syria, a group of Muslim public organizations staged a protest in the city on February 28 and March 2. The protestors were misinformed, while a few were paid to protest. 

Though the protestors were mainly people who felt strongly about the cause, they were strongly misinformed. We urge not to solely rely on western media but also speak to Syrian officials for a balanced view on the crisis, stated the Consul General, rubbishing allegations of the use of chemical weapons. 

“These allegations are contrary to common sense because Russia has destroyed its stock pile,” he added. He expressed hope that such instances will be just a one-off happening and that Muslims in India will understand Russia’s stance and will be able to assess its reasonable contribution to the peaceful settlement of Syrian conflict and the effort taken to counter international terrorism. 

“Russia is a time-tested ally of India,” Kotov stated.