US-backed UN resolution on Syria is 'odious', says Russian foreign minister

Sergei Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister, has criticised as "odious" a US-backed draft resolution condemning the Syrian government before a debate at the UN human rights council on Wednesday. Lavrov said the "extremely unwholesome initiative" would damage attempts to end the Syrian civil war and convene a planned peace conference.

The draft resolution, submitted by the US, Qatar and Turkey, condemns the use of heavy weapons against civilians and other rights abuses by the Syrian regime.

Lavrov called it "one-sided" and said he was surprised the US was one of the sponsors, saying it ran contrary to the US's pledge to help organise the planned peace conference. He said the draft was "unilateral and odious".

Lavrov told a press briefing in Moscow: "If we all adhere to such a settlement [organising the peace conference], then we must avoid one-sided spoilers and do everything to persuade all opposition members to sit down for talks without any preconditions.

"It's necessary that all of us work honestly and without double standards, speaking in support of the conference while simultaneously taking action to derail the proposal."

Lavrov reiterated Russian insistence that Iran be invited to the conference, an idea opposed by France, and said opponents of President Assad should be persuaded to enter negotiations "without preconditions" such as his exit.

Russia has been Assad's most powerful ally during the conflict that has killed more than 80,000 people, opposing UN sanctions and, along with China, blocking three western-backed security council resolutions it said were one-sided.