MOSCOW, November 4. /TASS/. The fate of Syrian President Bashar Assad could only be decided by the Syrian people, and there is only one way for that - a common will expression, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Wednesday after talks with United Nations Special Envoy on Syria Staffan de Mistura.
"The issue of any figure in the country’s political life should be decided by the people," Lavrov said. "As it is clearly written both in the Geneva Communique and the Vienna statement, the fate of its country should be decided by people."
"We can long argue on how Assad is popular," he said. "But there is only one way to check that - the will expression of Syrians. We want to reach that."
The final Vienna document on Syria envisions the establishment of a special governing body that will be involved in adoption of a new constitution and preparation of elections.
Russia’s Aerospace Forces started delivering pinpoint strikes at facilities of the Islamic State terrorist organization in Syria on September 30, 2015. The air group comprises over 50 aircraft and helicopters, including Sukhoi Su-24M, Su-25SM and state-of-the-art Su-34 aircraft. Hundreds of terrorist facilities have been hit by Russian aircraft.
On October 7, four missile ships of the Russian Navy’s Caspian Flotilla fired 26 Kalibr cruise missiles (NATO codename Sizzler) at militants’ facilities in Syria. On October 8, the Syrian army passed to a large-scale offensive.
Russia’s Armed Forces act on a request from Syrian President Bashar Assad. The Russian Federation does not plan to take part in ground operations in Syria.
According to UN statistics, fighting between Syrian government troops and militants has killed more than 200,000 people and displaced millions since its start in 2011.