(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - Putin said on Monday that Assad’s ouster would be unconstitutional and "a civil war will stretch on for who knows how long."
The Russian president also urged the Syrian government and the opposition to sit down for talks that could help end the unrest.
"The Syrian leadership as well as the conflicting side, the so-called 'armed opposition,' … should organize a negotiating process… to achieve a mutually acceptable compromise for the country's future,” he said.
He made the comments after a meeting with Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti in the Black Sea resort of Sochi.
Putin stressed that Syria's political future should not be decided on the battleground.
"I believe that the future of the country should be decided not on the basis of a military victory or defeat of one of the sides but on the basis of negotiations and compromise," he noted.
Last week, Russia and China vetoed a Western-backed UN Security Council draft resolution against Syria, which called for new sanctions against the Syrian government under Chapter VII of the UN Charter.
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24 July 2012 - 04:33
News ID: 331259
Russian President Vladimir Putin says removing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad from power would cause a civil war in the violence-hit country.
