Russia raises concern about US plan to arm Syrian rebels

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has raised concern about US plans to arm one of the main Syrian opposition groups .
Lavrov told his American counterpart, Secretary of State John Kerry, on the phone Friday providing military assistance to the rebel Free Syrian Army (FSA) would only lead to an escalation in the conflict.
The Russian official claimed that America had no concrete evidence that the Syrian regime had used chemical weapons to suppress the demonstrators.
Kerry told Lavrov that the US had strong proof of Syrian regime's use of chemical weapons against its opponents. He added that the Syrian regime must prove its innocence by allowing United Nations' investigators to enter Syrian territories, adding that the Russian government much support such a move.
Russia's criticism came after Damascus officials condemned US President Barack Obama's decision to arm the rebels. Syrian Ambassador to Moscow Riyad Haddad told Interfax news agency: "Information distributed by the White House is fully fabricated and falsified. Chemical weapons were used by the terrorists groups, as it was reported earlier," he said.
Spokesperson for the US State Department Jennifer Psaki told reporters that President Obama would brief his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on the evidence obtained against the Syrian regime.  
Germany's Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle highlighted the importance of holding the Geneva conference on Syria, adding that such a conference could bring about a ceasefire. Westerwelle criticised the involvement of Lebanese political group Hezbollah in the battle for Lebanese-Syrian border town of Qusayr, describing it as a "serious development."
The German official said that Russia much change its stance towards the Syrian regime, and added that his country's supports the Russian-American initiative to conduct an international conference about Syria. Westerwelle said it was important for Saudi Arabia to participate in the so-called Geneva 2 conference.
Meanwhile, the French president's office has confirmed that President Francois Hollande held talks with US President Obama, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta and British Prime Minister David Cameron about the recent developments in Syria.