Russia weighs in on Assad's proposals
2013-01-09 21:51
Moscow - Syrian President Bashar Assad's proposals for
ending his country's civil war should be taken into account by the
international community, Russian officials insisted on Wednesday, even though
Assad's ideas were rejected by the Syrian opposition and drew harsh Western
criticism.
Russia's Foreign Ministry said senior Russian and US
diplomats will discuss possible ways to settle the Syrian crisis during talks later
this week with the UN envoy for Syria, Lakhdar Brahimi.
The ministry said as part of international efforts to
help negotiate an end to Syria's civil war "some of the ideas" voiced
by Assad should be considered.
In a rare speech on Sunday, Assad offered a plan that
would keep him in power to oversee a national reconciliation conference, a
national election and a new government.
He dismissed any chance of talks with the armed
opposition, however, and vowed to continue the battle "as long as there is
one terrorist left," a term the government uses for the rebels.
The opposition rejected Assad's offer, which also was
denounced by the West, including the US and Britain.
The talks on Syria involving Brahimi, Russia's Deputy
Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov and US Deputy Secretary of State William
Burns are to take place on Friday in Geneva.
Russia has blocked several UN resolutions aimed at
pressuring Assad, but Moscow says it is not propping up his regime.
Top Russian officials in recent weeks have signaled that
they are resigned to Assad eventually losing power.
The war in Syria has killed over 60 000 people and forced
hundreds of millions to flee the country since it began in March 2011, according
to the UN.
- AP
