Medvedev: Assad needs guarantees for future of Syria

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev believed Syrian President Bashar Assad will not give up his post without getting clarity and guarantees of the future of his country and his personal safety. Hailing the success of the chemical weapons plan, Medvedev stressed the international community needs to keep working for a peaceful solution. In an interview with Reuters, he urged Russia’s international partners "not to let the situation spiral out of control". Damascus met its deadline of destroying "the critical equipment which is needed to run their chemical weapons production facilities" on Wednesday, according to the UN Watchdog. Recognizing the breakthrough, Medvedev said it was important to get up the diplomatic pressure and reach a practical solution to the conflict that involved President Bashar Assad, according to Russia Today website. "The proposals to find an arrangement by ignoring President Assad are not feasible while he remains in power," noted Medvedev, adding that Assad "is not crazy; he needs to get some guarantees or proposals on the development of the political dialogue in Syria, possible elections and his personal fate". Referencing the Arab Spring movement that led to the ouster of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in 2011, Medvedev said that Assad needed guarantees for his safety. "You can’t just tell him, ‘Get out of here and we’ll then sort it out.’ It’s a complicated process and all the sides, both the opposition and the regime, have to make concessions."