MOSCOW, May 14. /ITAR-TASS/. There should be no artificial break in settlement of the Syrian conflict, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov told ITAR-TASS on Wednesday in connection with the resignation of the UN and Arab League Special Envoy to Syria Lakhdar Brahimi.
“Russia assumes that Brahimi’s follower on the post will continue his course,” said the diplomat. “We believe there should be no artificial delays in the political process, there is a need to maintain the positive dynamics achieved in the previous rounds,” Gatilov noted.
The most important thing was that the Syrian government was ready to continue the dialogue, he added. “We absolutely encourage and support Damascus and believe there is no other alternative than to continue the inter-Syrian dialogue on all aspects of crisis settlement,” he said.
Gatilov expressed appreciation of Brahimi as an experienced diplomat who contributed to the settlement of various major conflicts and the search for ways to arrange an inter-Syrian dialogue.
Brahimi’s important achievement was convening of the international conference in Montreux in January 2014, which prompted both delegations to meet at the negotiating table, said Gatilov.
Gatilov wished Brahimi success and expressed hope he would help the UN in other important fields. Moscow was ready to cooperate with Brahimi, he added.
Lakhdar Brahimi would leave the post on May 31, 2014, the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced on Tuesday.