BREAKING NEWS

Russia says 'Friends of Syria' encourages extremists

MOSCOW - Russia said on Friday that decisions made at a "Friends of Syria" meeting in Rome, at which Western states pledged aid for Syrian rebels, would encourage opponents of Syrian President Bashar Assad to seek his government's overthrow.
"Decisions taken in Rome, as well as declarations voiced there, in letter and spirit directly encourage extremists to (seek) the seizure of power by force," Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said in a statement.