Russia’s Permanent Representative to the UN Vitaly Churkin said Russia has submitted a draft resolution to the UN Security Council on the crisis in Syria that mainly covers the humanitarian situation in Syria

Russia's Permanent Representative to the UN Vitaly Churkin said Russia has submitted a draft resolution to the UN Security Council on the crisis in Syria that mainly covers the humanitarian situation in Syria and presents Homs as a springboard for a political settlement.

"We believe that everybody wants a solution to the crisis in Syria," Churkin told a press conference in New York Tuesday, considering latest local arrangements that were achieved in Homs as positive signs.

The Russian Ambassador underscored that "the text of the draft resolution concerns the humanitarian aspects of the situation in Syria and is aimed at supporting the dialogue between the government and the opposition."

"The document says that it is necessary to help the political process forward. However, the main starting point was in the local reconciliation which was achieved in Homs," the diplomat stated.

"We consider that it is essential for us to move ahead. This is our idea of how a step forward can be made to help bring about a better atmosphere for a political settlement and, in general, straighten the state of affairs in Syria," Churkin said.

On Russia's vision regarding who could succeed Lakhdar Brahimi as a UN envoy to Syria, Churkin said "We will consider the names proposed by the UN Secretary-General, but we do not know who Brahimi's successor is."

The Russian diplomat pointed out that the third round of Geneva Conference should be launched as soon as possible, adding that the Syrian government is ready for that.

He pointed out that the Geneva Communique does not ban holding presidential elections in Syria.

Russian Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matvienko said that Moscow and Algiers oppose any foreign interference, especially military one, in Syria.

RT Website quoted Matvienko, who arrived to Algeria late Tuesday in an official visit, as saying that Algeria is a partner of Russia in the efforts exerted to solve the crisis in Syria, as the two sides reject any foreign interference, particularly a military one, in solving internal struggles, including the crisis in Syria.

Matvienko said that Algeria believes that the only way to solve the crisis in Syria is through comprehensive dialogue backed by the international community, adding that the Algerian leadership has expressed worries over the attempts made by external sides with the aim of destabilizing the situation and supporting extreme forces in Syria.


Russian Deputy Foreign Minister, Gennady Gatilov, stressed that there should not be any delays regarding the efforts to solve the crisis in Syria following the resignation of the UN envoy to Syria, Lakhdar Brahimi, which was announced on Tuesday.

ITAR TASS quoted Gatilov as saying that that Russia assumes that Brahimi's successor will continue work on the mission, adding that there should not be any delay in the political process and that it is important to preserve the positive dynamics achieved in previous rounds.

He stressed that the Syrian government is ready to continue dialogue, adding "Of course we support and encourage the Syrian government in this regard and we believe that there is no alternative to continuing dialogue among the Syrians."

Russian MPs: Presidential elections in Syria legal, constitute sovereign right to Syrians

A number of Russian members of parliament said that the presidential elections in Syria are legal and constitute a "sovereign right" to the Syrians, condemning the double-standard policies of the western countries embodied in depriving Syrians in their countries from participating in voting.

Head of the Russian Liberal Democratic Party Vladimir Zhirinovsky told SANA reporter in Moscow that the elections are entirely legal and that Russia fully supports these elections.

He said he believes these elections will be carried out fairly and will enable the Syrians to express their views and perspectives through them.

In turn, MP Valentin Shurshanov said that the Russian State Duma assesses the election process in Syria positively, adding that the Duma considers the elections as a positive process towards the alternation of power in Syria.

He criticized the double-standard policies of the western countries that call for carrying out presidential elections in Ukraine and refuse such elections in Syria.

For his part, MP Nicolai Ryabov said that the elections in Syria should be carried out on time despite the attempts made by the US and its western allies to thwart them, adding that the US is trying to impose its will on the whole world.

Ryabov stressed that the presidential elections are legitimate despite the fact that the US will not acknowledge them.