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13Apr16

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Russian lawmaker: Assad's opponents understand his departure won't solve Syria's problems

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Speaker of Russia's Federation Council (upper house of parliament) Valentina Matviyenko has said adversaries of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad have changed their rhetoric and are aware that his resignation will not solve Syria's problems.

"Today those who insisted on Assad's immediate departure have changed their rhetoric. They realize that Assad's departure will not solve this problem [the Syrian conflict] but will create a power vacuum, which could further exacerbate the situation in Syria," she told reporters on Wednesday.

According to Matviyenko, currently practically all countries support Russia's stance: it is impossible to solve Syria's problems by means of weapons, they can be overcome only through "the inclusive intra-Syrian dialogue with the participation of all parties to the conflict." "Only this can ensure the success of these talks," she said.

Matviyenko added that today Bashar al-Assad as the country's president "spearheads government troops' actions to combat terrorism." "Even a resolution of the United Nations Security Council envisages that the Syrian people themselves should determine the fate of the Syrian state and the fate of Assad. This is a key notion today even for those who do not like Assad, who do not see Syria's future with Assad. But we should not make decisions for the Syrian people," she said.

[Source: Itar Tass, Abu Dhabi, 13Apr16]

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This document has been published on 14Apr16 by the Equipo Nizkor and Derechos Human Rights. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.