Russia, China Welcome Appointment of New U.N. Syria Envoy

Russia welcomed the new international envoy for the conflict in Syria and said it expected him build on the work of predecessor Kofi Annan, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement Saturday.

"We proceed on the assumption that Lakhdar Brahimi will base his work on the platform of the existing 'road map' of a Syrian settlement -- Kofi Annan's peace plan and the final communique of the June ministerial meeting of the Action Group on Syria in Geneva and also on the relevant U.N. Security Council resolutions," the ministry said.

Russia added it was "ready for close interaction with the new special representative of the United Nations and the Arab League on Syria with the aim of overcoming the crisis in Syria."

It said it counted on Brahimi to "continue contacts with all Syrian sides, inducing them to cease violence as soon as possible and to the start of a political dialogue on the future of the country."

The Kremlin had endorsed Annan's plan and also backed his initiative at a June meeting in Geneva that called for a political transition in Syria while making no explicit call for President Bashar Assad to step down.

Russia along with China has prompted fury from Western nations with three vetoes of U.N. Security Council resolutions on Syria which condemned Assad's assault on protesters and threatened sanctions.

Russia has accused the United States and its allies of simply seeking to oust the current regime, Moscow's closest Middle East ally, a trading partner and the host of a Russian naval base in the eastern Mediterranean.

Earlier on Saturday, China welcomed the naming of Brahimi as the new international envoy, vowing support and cooperation for his mission.

"China will support and cooperate positively with Mr. Brahimi's efforts at political mediation," the foreign ministry said in a statement.

China is generally suspicious of intervention in the internal affairs of other nations. State media this week accused Western powers of hampering international efforts to end the Syrian conflict.

Saturday's statement described Brahimi, an Algerian, as a man with "rich diplomatic experience and the right person to take the position".

It said it hoped he "could stick to the direction of solving Syrian issues politically" and seek "a peaceful, fair and proper settlement", as well as a ceasefire among all parties to end the violence "as soon as possible".

The United Nations named Brahimi to the sensitive post on Friday, with efforts to end the fighting in the Middle Eastern country unsuccessful so far, partly due to the differences among U.N. Security Council permanent members.

Beijing has repeatedly called for political dialogue and efforts by the U.N. to resolve the crisis.

China also said in the statement that it hoped Brahimi would push for the implementation of relevant Security Council resolutions and Annan's six-point peace plan.

Annan, a former U.N. secretary general, resigned this month from the Syrian mission in the face of continued violence and the deadlock among world powers over how to address the crisis.

On Thursday, Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi urged a visiting Syrian envoy to implement a ceasefire and accept international mediation to end the violence.

Yang also told Bouthaina Shaaban, the envoy, that China hopes the Syrian government and opposition can cooperate with international mediation efforts, according to a foreign ministry statement.

Beijing has said it would be open to meeting with Syria's opposition as well, though has strong suspicions about the motives of other countries.

The People's Daily, mouthpiece of the governing Communist party, said in a commentary Wednesday that some countries in the West "have never given up the goal of 'regime change' in Syria" and have strengthened their support for forces opposed to President Bashar Assad.

That stance had "undermined the unity within the U.N. Security Council and prevented the international community from reaching a consensus and Annan's mediation efforts from taking effect," it said.