Lavrov: Assad is ready for dialogue

Syrian President Bashar Assad is ready for dialogue with all political forces in the country. According to RIA Novosti, this was stated by the head of the Russian Foreign Ministry Sergei Lavrov, who held a meeting with the Syrian leader in Damascus. "It is clear that the efforts to stop violence should be accompanied by the establishment of a dialogue between all political forces," the minister said, adding that "today they received confirmation of the readiness of the President of Syria to promote this work."

On Tuesday, the Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov visited Damascus for negotiations with Syria President Bashar Assad. The director of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service Mikhail Fradkov also participated in the negotiations. The main goal of the meeting is to "try to find a political exit from the situation around Syria." "In particular, Bashar Assad confirmed that the commission on the national dialogue has all the powers for its maintenance," Lavrov said, adding that the Syrian side received a request to influence opposition groups that have not yet been dialogue.

Bashar Assad assured that he was committed to the task of stopping violence, wherever it came, said the head of Lavrov. “We held very useful meetings with the leadership of the Syrian Arab Republic. We were readiness to facilitate the speedy exit from the crisis on the basis of a position set forth in the initiative of the League of the Arab states. In particular, the President of Syria assured that the task of cessation of violence, wherever it happened,” said Lavrov.

On February 4, Russia and China again blocked the adoption of the UN Security Council on the situation in Syria, which urged President Bashar Assad to resign against the backdrop of the confrontation between the authorities and the opposition. 13 states voted for the adoption of the resolution of the Council of People's Commissars, which expressed support for the settlement of the League of the Arab states. The US representative in the UN Security Council Suzan Rice said that from now on the blood of people who die during clashes in Syria will be on the conscience of countries that have blocked the adoption of the resolution. She emphasized that since the fall of last year, when the first attempt was made to approve the document about Syria, 2 thousand people were killed in the country. Immediately before the vote, Sergei Lavrov said that the UN Security Council members can come to a general opinion in relation to Syria if Moscow partners agree with its amendments. “If our colleagues show a constructive approach, then, in fact, we will already get a Moroccan, but a collective resolution of the Security Council, under which, I am sure, all without exception of the country will subscribe,” Lavrov said. “I hope that we had heard our amendments, promised to look at them again. We will wait for New York to wake up.”

The draft resolution did not reflect realities in Syria, said the regular representative of Vitaly Churkin. "The draft resolution issued for voting inadequately reflected the realities in Syria and sent unbalanced signals to the Syrian sides," Churkin said after the vote. For the second time, Russia and China, as permanent members of the UN Security Council, do not miss a resolution on Syria. The last time this happened in October 2011.

Russian diplomats submitted their amendments, which, according to their plan, will help the UN Security Council to avoid the situation in which his decision will actually support one of the parties in the civil war.

On the eve of the vote, the human rights organization of Surian Observator for Human Rights, based in London, reported that at least 200 people became victims of the artillery force in Homs. There is no confirmation of this figure from other sources yet. The Syria government refutes these statements, claiming that human rights activists who reported this are participating in the "anti -Syrian propagandist of the campaign."

On January 31, Sergei Lavrov said that Russia would continue to supply Syria weapons. “Yes, of course,” he answered the question whether Moscow will continue to supply Damascus with weapons and ammunition. “We signed contracts, and they must be implemented,” Lavrov said in an interview with the Australian ABC television channel. Earlier, Lavrov has already said that Moscow is not obliged to report on deliveries to Syria.

According to Lavrov, the supply of Russian weapons does not lead to a deepening of the crisis in Syria. "The weapon that we supply is not used against demonstrators," he said. The day before, it became known that a dry load with weapons and ammunition from Russia should arrive in Syria.

Lavrov also said that Russia does not intend to convince President of Syria Bashar al -Assad to leave his post. "Russian politics is not to ask someone to resign. The change of regimes is not our profession," he said. At the same time, the minister rejected the opinion that Russia is certainly supporting Assad. “We are not friends and allies of President Assad,” the minister said.

In Syria, anti -government protests that began in mid -March have not ceased for ten months. Every day there are reports of the death of people - both civilians and employees of law enforcement agencies. According to the UN, the total number of victims exceeded 5 thousand people.