Russia seeks Syrian settlement through national dialog

Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Thursday Moscow will seek a national dialogue in Syria, TASS news agency reported.

The foreign minister marked efforts of the Russian Orthodox Church to protect Christians in the Middle East and in the north of Africa.

"It is clear that it is impossible to ensure due protection of the Christian population living in that region (Middle East and North Africa), and to achieve stable stabilization there in general, without an efficient neutralization of terrorist and extremist threats, without the settlement of numerous crisis politically and diplomatically on the basis of international law, through a national dialog with participation of all ethnic and confessional groups," Lavrov said at a reception marking Orthodox Easter.

Russia’s effort to support the Syrian government in anti-terrorist fight, "to create conditions for an agreement on cessation of hostilities between the Syrian army and the opposition, as well as to render humanitarian aid" is aimed precisely at that, Lavrov added.

Source : MENA