Syria's Assad Resigns Amid Peace Efforts, Orders Peaceful Power Handover - Russian Foreign Ministry

08.12.2024 18:52

Syria's Assad Resigns Amid Peace Efforts, Orders Peaceful Power Handover - Russian Foreign Ministry

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, after negotiations with several participants in the conflict in Syria, has decided to step down from his position and leave the country, giving instructions for a peaceful transfer of power, the Russian Foreign Ministry reported.

"As a result of negotiations between Bashar al-Assad and several participants in the armed conflict on the territory of the Syrian Arab Republic, he made the decision to resign from the presidency and leave the country, giving instructions for a peaceful transfer of power. Russia was not involved in these negotiations," the Russian Foreign Ministry stated in a Telegram post.

The ministry also emphasized that Russia is deeply concerned about the dramatic events unfolding in Syria.

Furthermore, Russia calls on all parties involved in Syria to renounce violence and resolve governance issues through political means, and in this regard, Moscow is in contact with all Syrian opposition factions.

"We urge all parties involved to refrain from violence and resolve all governance issues through political means," the ministry's statement reads.

"In this context, the Russian Federation is in contact with all factions of the Syrian opposition. We call for respect for the views of all ethnic and confessional groups in Syrian society and support efforts to establish an inclusive political process based on the unanimously adopted UN Security Council Resolution 2254," the Foreign Ministry emphasized.

Earlier, UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen proposed the urgent organization of inter-Syrian negotiations in Geneva.

"We hope that these approaches will be taken into account by the UN and all interested parties, including in the context of implementing the initiative of the UN Special Envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, for the urgent organization of inclusive inter-Syrian negotiations in Geneva," the Russian Foreign Ministry's statement said.

Meanwhile, Russian military bases in Syria are on high alert.

"Russian military bases in Syria are on heightened combat readiness. Currently, there is no serious threat to their security," the statement concluded.