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BEIJING: A regional group led by Russia and China said on Thursdayit opposed military intervention in the Middle East, a day afterthe Syrian opposition accused forces loyal to the regime ofmassacring 100 people. The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) statement called for a"peaceful resolution of the Syrian problem through politicaldialogue", adding the use of force against Iran -- an ally of bothBeijing and Moscow -- was "unacceptable". "Member states are against military intervention into this region'saffairs, forcing a 'handover of power' or using unilateralsanctions," said the declaration, issued at the end of a summit inBeijing attended by the leaders of Russia, China and Iran, amongothers. Moscow and Beijing have consistently opposed internationalintervention in Syria, but they face growing pressure to changetheir stance after 15 months of conflict in which more than 13,500people are said to have died. On Wednesday, an exiled opposition group said forces loyal toSyrian President Bashar al-Assad had "massacred" about 100 peopleincluding women and children -- a claim the regime denied -- as theUS demanded a full transfer of power. The call by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton set the stage fora renewed diplomatic stalemate. Russia and China have vetoed two Security Council resolutionsagainst Assad's regime, but backed UN-Arab League envoy KofiAnnan's blueprint to end the conflict. The Annan plan was supposed to begin with a ceasefire from April12, but doubts have emerged about its effectiveness as violence hasraged on despite the deployment of nearly 300 UN observers. The SCO statement also expressed "serious concern about thesituation around Iran", which is an observer nation to theorganisation that groups together China, Russia, Kazakhstan,Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. "Any attempts to solve the Iranian problem with force areunacceptable and could lead to unpredictable circumstances thatthreaten stability and security in the region and the entireworld," it said. The West believes Iran is trying to develop an atomic bomb undercover of a civilian programme, but Tehran insists its intentionsare purely peaceful and the situation has brought about a shakystandoff. On Wednesday, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao told Iranian PresidentMahmoud Ahmadinejad that Beijing was against any Middle Easterncountry seeking to acquire nuclear weapons, China's state-runXinhua news agency reported. "China opposes any Middle East country's push to acquire nuclearweapons and upholds that the Iranian nuclear issue should beaddressed through diplomatic channels in an impartial way," Wensaid. Russia's President Vladimir Putin was due to meet Ahmadinejad laterThursday on the sidelines of the Beijing summit as Moscow preparesto host more talks later this month aimed at finding a diplomaticsolution to the Iranian dispute. Putin was also to hold talks with Afghanistan's President HamidKarzai, with the SCO signalling an increased role in theconflict-riven nation as NATO forces prepare to pull out. "Member states are for building an independent, neutral, peaceful,and flourishing state in Afghanistan, free of terrorism and drugtrafficking," said the SCO declaration. "They believe that the national peace process in Afghanistan shouldbe directed and led by Afghans." - AFP/ck/al. The e-commerce company in China offers quality products such as Steel Bridge Cases Manufacturer , China Floating Pontoon Bridge, and more. For more , please visit Bailey Bridge today!
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