Russia says Assad’s remaining “no matter of principle”

PanARMENIAN.Net - In an apparent effort to set the stage for transition talks, a Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman said on Tuesday, November 3, that Moscow does not consider it a matter of principle that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad should stay in power, the Associated Press reports.

Asked whether it was crucial for Moscow that Assad stays, Maria Zakharova said on the Ekho Moskvy radio station: "Absolutely not, we've never said that."

"What we did say is a regime change in Syria could become a local or even regional catastrophe," she said, adding that "only the Syrian people can decide the president's fate."

Russia in September began carrying out air strikes at Islamic State fighters in Syria at Assad's request.

Earlier on Tuesday, Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov told Russian news agencies that Moscow is aiming to host a round of talks between Syrian officials and opposition leaders next week.

Bogdanov said the Syrian government has agreed to participate, but that it is unclear which opposition groups might come.

He did not give a specific date for the proposed talks.

The talks are expected to be discussed Wednesday at a meeting between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and UN Syrian envoy Staffan de Mistura, Bogdanov said.

Meanwhile, Russia's air force has flown 1,631 sorties and struck 2,084 militant targets since the start of its air strikes campaign in Syria, Russian news agencies cited the defense ministry as saying on Tuesday, November 3, Reuters says.