Syrian diplomats' expulsion counter-productive: Russia

Moscow, May 30 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Russia believes expulsion of Syrian ambassadors from a number of Western countries is counter- productive, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said Wednesday.

"We can only comment on this decision...in the context of international efforts to achieve a peaceful resolution of the Syrian crisis," Alexander Lukashevich said.

"From this perspective, the expulsion of Syrian ambassadors from the capitals of leading Western states is, in our view, a counterproductive move."

The US, Spain, Great Britain, Italy, Canada, France, Australia, Germany, Japan and other countries announced the expulsion of the Syrian ambassadors from their countries Tuesday.

The step was undertaken in protest of last weekend's massacre in the town of Houla for which the western countries have blamed Syrian President Bashar Assad's forces.

The Friday's killings in Houla in Homs province were one of the deadliest single events in the 15-month-old uprising against President Al Assad's rule. The UN said 49 children and 34 women were among the 108 people killed.

--IANS/RIA Novosti

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