Sabtu 12 Jan 2013 21:54 WIB

Russia rejects Assad exit as precondition for Syria deal

Foto: Reuters/George Ourfalian

Syrian soldiers loyal to President Bashar al-Assad are seen in Khan al-Hariri district in Aleppo city January 12, 2013.

REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, MOSCOW/BEIRUT - Russia voiced support on Saturday for international peace envoy Lakhdar Brahimi but insisted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's exit cannot be a precondition for a deal to end the country's conflict.

A Russian Foreign Ministry statement following talks earlier with the United States and Brahimi reiterated calls for an end to violence in Syria, but there was no sign of a breakthrough. Russia's Foreign Ministry said: "As before, we firmly uphold the thesis that questions about Syria's future must be decided by the Syrians themselves, without interference from outside or the imposition of prepared recipes for development."

During the meeting in Geneva, Russia called for "a political transition process" based on an agreement by foreign powers last June. Brahimi, who is trying to build on the agreement reached in Geneva on June 30, has met three times with senior Russian and US diplomats since early December and met Assad in Damascus.

Russia and the United States disagreed over what the June agreement meant for Assad, with Washington saying it sent a clear signal he must go and Russia contending it did not. Russia has been Assad's most powerful international backer, joining with China to block three Western- and Arab-backed UN Security Council resolutions aimed to pressure him or push him from power. Assad can also rely on regional powerhouse Iran.

Although Russia sells arms to Syria and rents one of its naval bases, the economic benefit of its support for Assad is minimal. Analysts say President Vladimir Putin wants to prevent the United States from using military force or support from the UN Security Council to bring down governments it opposes.

Brahimi said the issue of Assad, whom the United States, European powers and Gulf-led Arab states insist must step down to end the civil war, appeared to be a sticking point at the meeting in Geneva.

Some 60,000 Syrians have been killed during the 21-month-old revolt and world powers are divided over how to stop the escalating bloodshed. Government aircraft bombed outer districts of Damascus on Saturday after being grounded for a week by stormy weather, opposition activists in the capital said.