Russia praises Damascus for willingness to cooperate with UN

Russia welcomed the Syrian government's approach to a United Nations probe into the use of chemical weapons in its domestic conflict, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Thursday. Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov met Syrian Ambassador to Moscow Riyad Haddad to discuss the situation in Syria, according to a statement published on the ministry's website. Bognanov reiterated Russia's position that the crisis in Syria must be resolved without any outside involvement. He praised the Syrian government for its readiness to cooperate with the U.N. "We applaud the Syrian government's constructive approach toward cooperating with the U.N. High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, Angela Kane, and the head of the U.N. experts who are currently in Damascus to verify (Swedish chemical weapons expert Ake) Sellstrom's claims regarding the use of chemical weapons in Syria," the ministry said.