Lavrov: Al-Assad’s Removal Impossible

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stressed that “President Bashar al-Assad’s stepping aside as a precondition to launch the political process in Syria is impossible.”

According to Russian news agencies, Lavrov confirmed: “Our partners call for the necessity of excluding President al-Assad from the political process as a precondition, but this was not mentioned in Geneva Statement, and it is impossible.”
“If you make the Syrian president’s ouster the main precondition, then – and I have said this before – the price for this approach is new fatalities,” he emphasized.
“And those who support such an approach must bear the responsibility for it.”
He further called on the Syrian opposition to follow al-Assad’s move and offer its suggestions on launching the dialogue.
“President al-Assad has presented initiatives which aim at inviting all opposition sides for dialogue,” the Russian top official highlighted, and noted that “these initiatives seem to be not long- distance, others may see it as not serious.. but they are actual proposals.. and if I were in the position of the Syrian opposition, I had offered my opinions on launching the dialogue.”

In parallel, Lavrov mentioned that “the government and Syrian opposition have to reach a consensus on the dimensions and durations of the transitional period during which preparations for new general elections are to be held.”
“This would be fair and just if all were interested in saving the biggest possible number of Syrian lives,” he stated, and reiterated that “the Syrian crisis poses a threat to the whole region.”

This comes as Russia reiterated its support for a transition plan that was agreed in Geneva on June 30 but never implemented because of the fighting.