‘White Helmets Boost Presence in Idlib’
DAMASCUS (Dispatches) – The White Helmets are ramping up their presence in Syria’s Idlib, potentially readying a provocation, Russian President’s Special Envoy Aleksandr Lavrentyev, said on Wednesday at a press conference following talks in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan.
Lavrentyev added that Moscow is calling on all its partners to carefully assess the information about the potential provocation.
The White Helmets is a UK-registered NGO. They describe themselves as former bakers, tailors, engineers, pharmacists, painters, carpenters, students and workers of other professions who volunteer to go to the "most dangerous place on earth” and protect local civilians from violence. The group has been accused by Damascus of extremism and spreading propaganda.
Russia considers the group’s activity an element of an informational campaign aimed at the vilification of the Syrian government. In particular, Moscow accused the White Helmets of staging a false-flag provocation in Syria in 2013 that later gave grounds for the West to accuse Damascus of chemical attacks.
The Astana format remains the only process that has any real impact on the situation, Lavrentyev said.
"We are confident that [the Astana format is] the only relevant format that can have real influence, real impact on the situation, on the Syrian settlement,” added Lavrentyev.
Lavrentyev also said that the work of the Syrian Constitutional Committee should not be artificially accelerated.
The new round of meetings of the constitutional committee was held in Geneva at the end of November, but the meetings of the small group (which is preparing the main initiatives) did not take place due to disagreements between the delegations.
Lavrentyev added that Moscow is calling on all its partners to carefully assess the information about the potential provocation.
The White Helmets is a UK-registered NGO. They describe themselves as former bakers, tailors, engineers, pharmacists, painters, carpenters, students and workers of other professions who volunteer to go to the "most dangerous place on earth” and protect local civilians from violence. The group has been accused by Damascus of extremism and spreading propaganda.
Russia considers the group’s activity an element of an informational campaign aimed at the vilification of the Syrian government. In particular, Moscow accused the White Helmets of staging a false-flag provocation in Syria in 2013 that later gave grounds for the West to accuse Damascus of chemical attacks.
The Astana format remains the only process that has any real impact on the situation, Lavrentyev said.
"We are confident that [the Astana format is] the only relevant format that can have real influence, real impact on the situation, on the Syrian settlement,” added Lavrentyev.
Lavrentyev also said that the work of the Syrian Constitutional Committee should not be artificially accelerated.
The new round of meetings of the constitutional committee was held in Geneva at the end of November, but the meetings of the small group (which is preparing the main initiatives) did not take place due to disagreements between the delegations.