NATO Secretary General Andres Fogh Rasmussen on Friday told Turkish TV company NTV that the alliance would not meddle in the months-long political crisis in Syria.
“We are not discussing this issue. We have no intention to intervene in Syria,” Rasmussen, who is on an official visit in Turkey, said.
“I strongly condemn the security forces’ crackdown on civilians in Syria. I urge the Syrian leaders to accommodate the democratic, legitimate aspirations of the Syrian people. The only way forward in Syria is to introduce freedoms, democracy and accommodate people’s legitimate aspirations,” Rasmussen said ahead of his visit.
Russia has firmly supported Syrian President Bashar al-Assad during the uprising against his regime. Russia and China vetoed a UN Security Council resolution on Syria, backed by the Arab League and Western nations, to prevent a repetition of “the Libyan scenario.”
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Wednesday called on the Arab world, the United States and Europe to refrain from passing judgment on the national dialogue in Syria before it has even begun.
