Syrians must decide Assad fate: Russia

Addressing a press conference after a meeting with the Syrian president, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov condemned foreign interference in Syria’s internal affairs, describing Syrians as the only legitimate authority to decide about the fate of Assad.

He also said that Assad is ready for talks with opposition parties to end the months-long violence and that the Syrian President was “fully committed” to stopping the unrest in the country.

Lavrov visited Syria on Tuesday days after Russia and China blocked a UN Security Council resolution against the country for the second time. Moscow said the resolution which called on Assad to step down would have forced regime change on Syria.

Syria has repeatedly said that negotiation is the only way to end nearly 11 months of violence in Syria. Opposition groups, however, have rejected negotiation proposal.

Syria has been experiencing unrest since mid-March and many people have lost their lives in the violence.

The West and the Syrian opposition accuse the government of killing protesters. But Damascus blames ''outlaws, saboteurs and armed terrorist groups'' for the unrest, insisting that it is being orchestrated from abroad.