Russia calls for dialogue without preconditions – envoy to Syria

BEIRUT, September 23 (Itar-Tass) — Russia’s efforts are targeted at “immediate cessation of violence by all parties in Syria and a comprehensive dialogue without preconditions,” Russia’s ambassador to Syria Azamat Kulmukhametov told a conference of opposition parties in Damascus on Sunday.

“The Syrians themselves without external interference should find the peaceful way out of the crisis,” he said.

The diplomat emphasized that Russia supports the mission of the new UN and the Arab League envoy on Syria, Lahdar Brahimi, and considers the Kofi Annan plan and the Geneva communique on Syria fundamental documents for the conflict settlement.

Kulmukhametov stressed importance of unification of all opposition factions inside and outside Syria “on the grounds of denunciation of violence and adherence to the dialogue in the interests of all Syrians.”

The conference of Syrian opposition forces was convened at the initiative of the National Coordination Committee for Democratic Changes in Syria led by Hassan Abdel Azim and brought together over 20 parties and movements.

The conference’s aim is to create a platform to transfer the armed conflict into a peaceful political process.

Another coalition of opposition parties – the Popular Front for Change and Liberation led by Deputy Prime Minister Qadri Jamil – announced it had postponed an opposition forum scheduled for late September.

The party’s leadership took this step to prevent a deeper split in the opposition ranks hoping that the National Coordination Committee will change its course, the Front’s spokesman, Adel Naiseh, said.

“Syria’s crisis is complicated and multisided and everybody should pool their efforts to avert discrepancies for the soonest possible beginning of the political process and alleviation of civilians’ sufferings,” he said.

Over the past several months the delegations of the National Coordination Committee for Democratic Changes in Syria and the Popular Front for Change and Liberation have repeatedly visited Russia. Both coalitions support a non-violent road to changes.