Russia accuses west of fueling anti-Assad resistanceAugust 22, 2012 - 18:17 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Moscow accused on Wednesday, Aug 22 the West of inciting armed resistance to the regime of President Bashar al-Assad and said violence would not resolve the political crisis in Syria, RIA Novosti reports. “Our Western partners have not done anything to influence the opposition and convince it to start dialogue with the authorities,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on its website. “They are openly encouraging the opposition to continue armed resistance instead,” the statement said. “It is clear that these methods will not help in finding a political solution to the crisis.” Since March 2011, the Syrian conflict has claimed up to 20,000 lives, according to estimates by various Syrian opposition groups. The West is pushing for Assad’s ouster, while Russia and China are trying to prevent outside interference in Syria saying the Assad regime and the opposition are both to blame for the bloodshed. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday that a chance still remains for national reconciliation in Syria, despite the large number of opponents of that process including those outside the country. Top stories Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Moscow on April 22 to hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". Partner news | Armenia, Turkey discuss restoration of historic bridge The meeting took place on May 17 in Ashgabat on the sidelines of an international conference of ministers of culture. India wants Armenia’s proposals on use of Chabahar port India is expecting proposals from Armenia regarding the use of Chabahar port in Iran, Indian ambassador says. EU welcomes Armenia-Azerbaijan “progress” The EU has welcomed “progress” made in the framework of the Armenia-Azerbaijan border delimitation process. Belarus opposition leader slams Lukashenko for Karabakh trip Belarusian opposition politician Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya has harshly criticized the visit of Lukashenko to Karabakh. |