Personal attitudes unacceptable in international politics - Lavrov

MOSCOW, August 4 (Itar-Tass) - Personal attitudes towards heads of state are unacceptable in international politics and can’t do any good, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Monday. He cited Iraq as an example to note that after the removal of its leader, Saddam Hussein, the American governor-general had disbanded all structures where the Sunni had representation. “These were army, police and security structures, and the Sunnis are now trying to take revenge even though it was clear all along that problems as complex as those in Iraq could only be solved through national consensus,” Lavrov said in an exclusive interview with ITAR-TASS. “We suggested that instead of taking such actions, which were dictated solely by one’s personal attitude towards a certain head of state, some substantive criteria should be used such as the fight against terrorism. If this criterion were selected as a consolidating factor for the activities of Russia, the United States, Europe, Persian Gulf and other Middle East countries, I believe much would become clearer. But this requires a fair choice and the rejection of cooperation with those who can become your short-lived assistant in overthrowing a statesman you personally dislike, and they you will have to decide what to do with such passing assistant who has now become a burden,” the minister said. “If we do not decide upon clear approaches, and above all if we do not pool our efforts against terrorism, we will always be facing problems like this. The cost of such zigzags would claim hundreds and thousands of lives as we saw and still see in Libya where the state has been destroyed, and as we can see in Iraq where the state is also falling apart. We are trying to prevent this scenario there because otherwise the Kurd problem will burst out, but this would be horrible. We can see this in Syria where attempts are being made to do the same just in order to remove one single person,” Lavrov said. The minister recalled his conversations with Western partners who “have been telling us for quite a while, for about a year or a year and a half: ‘yes, we understand that the threat of terrorism which has gained the upper hand in Syria is much worse that Asad staying in power.’ They say this straightforwardly. And we ask them: ‘What is the matter then? If this is so, let us fight terrorism together.’ But they reply in whisper: ‘You see, it’s so of course, but the leaders of the U.S. and some leading European countries have said that Asad is not to be shaken hands with.’ That’s it. A word has been spoken, as the saying goes, and it will do no good,” the minister said. Learn more on itar-tass.com