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Moscow hails initiatives of League of Arab States on Syrian settlement

"The Cairo resolutions open up a real possibility to put an end to violence," - Alexander Lukashevich said

MOSCOW, November 3 (Itar-Tass) —— Moscow hails the initiative of the League of Arab States on Syria and hopes the League’s plan will help stop the bloodshed in that country, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said on Thursday.

“At its extraordinary meeting in Cairo, the League of Arab States endorsed a settlement plan for Syria. The plan was squared in two rounds of talks between the Syrian authorities and the League’s ad hoc committee,” Lukashevich reminded. “The document urges all parties to the conflict to stop violence in order to prevent more casualties. Damask has undertaken to free all those who were arrested in the recent riots and to withdraw army units from cities and towns, and to provide free access there for envoys from the League of Arab States and for world media.”

According to the Russian diplomat, the League’s ad hoc committee will hold consultations with the Syrian government and opposition within a couple of weeks to kick off a national dialogue.

Moscow hails these initiatives. “The Cairo resolutions open up a real possibility to put an end to violence and reduce the Syrian developments to peaceful path of negotiations to help Syrians settle their domestic problems without foreign interference,” Lukashevich said.

Russia “urges all parties to act in a responsible manner and to stick to the initiative of the League of Arab States,” he stressed. “It is vitally important to begin a mutually respectful dialogue between the government and opposition in order to secure civil peace and accord.”

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