No one is going to argue with Syrians about country’s Constitution — Russian diplomat

MOSCOW, January 27. /TASS/. No one is going to argue with the Syrians about the Syrian Constitution issue, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, told a press briefing on Friday.

"Moscow does not impose its own solutions, it just offers to speed up very complex work on drafting such a document," the diplomat said commenting on the draft Constitution proposed by Russia. "In fact, this document is a questionnaire on what Syria’s Constitution could be like. This set of ideas suggests that the Syrians themselves will search for an answer."

"The Russian experts also suggested possible options for such search, which are based on international legal approaches towards the Syrian settlement and which are declared in decisions by the UN Security Council and the International Syria Support Group," Zakharova said.

"One may agree or disagree with what was presented in Astana," she noted. "It is important to make sure that the process of discussing the future Syrian draft Constitution is launched, a broad discussion process should begin."

"No one is going to argue with the Syrians themselves about these sovereign issues for Syria," the diplomat stressed.

Syrian truce

 Positive trends in the Syrian truce are strengthening, Zakharova said.

"Positive trends after the December 30 ceasefire are strengthening," the spokeswoman said.

"We are satisfied with the Astana meeting as regards the strengthening of the ceasefire and the expansion of its zone. The efforts by UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura also played an important role," the Russian diplomat said.

The potential of Astana as a venue is quite high but it does not substitute the Syria talks in Geneva, the spokeswoman said.

"We support the resumption of the inter-Syrian dialog whose format should be broad and inclusive," the diplomat said.

"We are taking steps for assistance to the Geneva process," she said.