Lavrov Says Syrians should Decide Assad's Fate

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, back from talks with Syrian President Bashar Assad, pointedly declined to say Wednesday whether Moscow asked the embattled leader to go, stressing that Syrians themselves should decide his fate.

"Any outcome of national dialogue should be the result of agreement between the Syrians themselves and should be acceptable to all Syrians," Lavrov told reporters.

He sidestepped a direct question from a reporter who asked Russia's top diplomat whether he urged Assad to step down during their talks in Damascus Tuesday.

"Trying in advance to decide the result of national dialogue is basically not the job of the international community," Lavrov said, adding that both the government and all the opposition forces should sit down for talks.

Lavrov, who was given a hero's welcome by Assad's supporters in Damascus, also said that recalling envoys from Damascus would not help the Arab League's plan.

"I do not think that recalling ambassadors helps create conditions that would be favorable to the realization of the Arab League's initiative," he said after several Western and Arab states recalled their envoys from Syria.

After Tuesday's talks Lavrov said Russia was prepared to work to end the crisis under a peace plan put forward by the Arab League and that Assad was ready for dialogue with all political forces.

The latest Arab League plan would see Assad transferring power to his deputy and a government of national unity formed within two months.