REPORT: Russia says Syrian conflict must not be resolved by force

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Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Thursday that the chances of forging a solution to the Syrian conflict based on a June agreement by world powers that called for a transitional government are decreasing, the Interfax news agency reported.

It is nevertheless necessary to keep seeking a peaceful solution because the alternative is "bloody chaos", Interfax quoted him as saying in an interview. "The longer it continues, the broader its scale and the worse (it will be) for everyone."

Meeting Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Makdad, Lavrov underscored "the lack of an alternative to a peaceful resolution of (Syria's) internal conflict through a broad inter-Syria dialogue and political process," a ministry statement said.

Earlier on Thursday, Russia denied the presence of a US-Russian plan on the crisis in Syria after circulating information reported that the two countries are negotiating the transitional phase after President Bashar Assad steps down.

In this context, Russian Foreign Ministry’s spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said: "There was not and is not such a plan and it is not being discussed."

This as, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov's spokesman reported that International Syria envoy Lakhdar Brahimi will fly to Moscow on Saturday for talks with Lavrov on how to end Syria's 21-month-old conflict.

Brahimi who visited Syria, held a press conference in Damascus, in which he called for the formation of a transitional cabinet that has full power, stressing that the required change in Syria must be “real”.

Brahimi added that the Syrian people are looking forward for a “real change”.

Following the press conference, Brahimi headed to Beirut through the Masnaa border crossing.

Earlier, Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mokdad entered Russia's Foreign Ministry in Moscow for talks following a diplomatic push by Brahimi in Damascus this week.

On Wednesday, Israeli media reports said that Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has secretly met Jordan's King Abdullah in Amman to discuss the risk of Syria's chemical weapons falling into the hands of Islamist militants.

Two TV stations and Israeli news sites quoted unnamed Israeli officials confirming a report in the London-based Arabic language daily, Al-Quds Al-Arabi, that such a summit had been held. Netanyahu's spokesmen has declined to comment on the reports.

REUTERS/LBCI

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