Russia tells West to respect Syria’s sovereignty

Moscow: Russia will work with the Western coalition fighting Daesh if its members respect Syria’s sovereignty, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Thursday.

“We are ready for practical cooperation with the coalition that would respect Syria’s sovereignty and the prerogatives of the Syrian leadership,” Lavrov said.

Earlier, US president Barack Obama said he did not forsee a situation in which the civil war could end with Syrian President Bashar Al Assad in power.

Top diplomats from 17 countries met in Vienna Saturday to discuss a way out of Syria’s nearly five-year conflict, which has left more than a quarter of a million people dead.

They produced a two-year timetable: a transitional government would be formed and a new constitution written within six months, to be followed by internationally monitored elections within 18 months after that.

In a television interview with an Italian TV station, Al Assad said there could be no transition schedule for elections while swathes of Syria remained out of government control.

“This timetable starts after starting defeating terrorism,” he said. Meanwhile, a Syrian opposition figure familiar with the Russian position said Moscow’s military campaign aims to facilitate a diplomatic track by strengthening Al Assad’s position and weakening the rebels enough that they all agree to come to the table. He said the Russians have come to the conclusion that there can be no long-term solution for Syria while Al Assad remains in power. The question, he said, is how to let go of Al Assad while safeguarding state institutions and the capital of Damascus.