Fri, June 15, 2012
MOSCOW, June 15 (Xinhua) -- Russia was not discussing with the West on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's resignation plan, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Friday.
U.S. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said Thursday talks between Russia and the United States on Assad's step down was "possible."
Commenting on the alleged Russia-U.S. talks over the "political transformation" plan in Syria, Lavrov said such talks "were not and could not take place" since they would "totally contradict our position," Interfax news agency quoted the diplomat as saying at a press conference after talks with his Iraqi counterpart Hoshyar Zebari.
"We don't make decisions for the Syrian people," Lavrov said, adding that he would discuss a Russia-initiated international conference on Syria with Zebari later on Friday.
Lavrov also listed two conditions for Russia's attendance at an international conference on Syria due at June 30 in Geneva: first, it should bring in "the right participants"; second, the focus of the talks should be to facilitate political dialogue in Syria instead of making predetermination for the Syrian people.
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