Syrians themselves must resolve crisis: Brazil FM

Brazilian Foreign Minister Luiz Alberto Figueiredo says Syrians themselves must resolve the crisis in the Arab country, rejecting any military solutions to the scourge.

“We know that a military solution to the Syrian problem is impossible,” said Figueiredo after a meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov in Moscow on Wednesday.

The Brazilian foreign minister further noted, “It (the Syria crisis) should be settled by the Syrians themselves. And we as members of the international community should provide conditions for different forces in Syria to come to terms and to conduct negotiations with the government.”

He further highlighted the role that Russia has played in resolving the crisis and opening up new opportunities for dialog among Syrians.

“I would like to note the achievements of the Russian government and Minister Lavrov for the role that Russia plays in the resolution of the Syrian problem,” he said, adding, “This role contributes to the fact that new areas of dialog between the Syrian parties to the conflict were opened.”

Lavrov, for his part, reiterated that Syria’s problems should be resolved by the Syrians people without any foreign intervention.

The two sides also discussed issues around the Geneva 2 international peace conference on the crisis in the Middle Eastern country.

On May 7, Russia and the United States agreed in the Russian capital, Moscow, to convene the international conference on Syria, which will serve as a follow-up to an earlier Geneva meeting held in June 2012.

The date of the event has changed many times as the foreign-backed opposition remains divided over attending the talks.

The Syrian government has agreed to take part in the talks, but has rejected preconditions or any insistence on the departure of President Assad.

Nearly three years of foreign-sponsored militancy in Syria has taken its toll on the lives of more than 100,000 people, according to statistics compiled by the United Nations. Millions have also been displaced due to the turmoil.

The UN has repeatedly warned against the humanitarian situation in the country, saying that over nine million people are in need of urgent aid due to the crisis. Over four million other Syrians will be forced out of their homes in 2014, the UN reported on October 7.