Speaking to CBS news channel on Tuesday, Lavrov said that in talks with Secretary of State John Kerry, US and Russia established to try to bring the two sides to the negotiation table and go on with agreements made in Geneva talks on June 30th 2012.
“We promised to make sure that the government participates in the conference and the government said so”, he said adding that, but “the American officials recognize that the national coalition on which some outside sponsors want to put all the money, is not ready even to negotiate, but to decide who is in charge in this coalition.”
“Instead of regime change slogan, the opposition should have some positive agenda for future of the country, but I never saw anything coming from the coalition which would say this is the Syria which we want to build,” Lavrov said.
He said “revenge and punishment” is the opposition’s number one priority while our priority is to stop violence and save more lives.
“The immediate task is to make sure that they stop and sit for talks,” he added.
Lavrov criticized US insistence on arming militants in Syria and said, Washington says they support the opposition both politically and by sending them more arms “to restore the military balance on the ground. If this is the logic of moving things forward then I’m not very optimistic,” he said.
“I see double standards, if you wish. You either deny terrorists any acceptance in the international life, or you make your double standard policy work the way it has been working,” Lavrov added.
Referring to supporters of the war in Syria, he said, “One cannot just choose to like or dislike a dictator and then try to topple anyone they don’t like.”
He said it is not accepted to say "I don't like that guy in this country, so we will be calling him a dictator and topple him. This guy in another country is also dictatorial, but he's our dictator."
The Russian Foreign Minister said the Syrian people are the ones who should decide about the fate of their country, stressing that negotiations are essential for ending the crisis in Syria.