MOSCOW (AP) — Russia’s foreign minister says that Syrian President Bashar Assad wants his vice president to hold talks with the opposition forces.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Wednesday that Assad “delegated the responsibility of holding such a dialogue to Vice President (Farouk) al-Sharaa.” Lavrov met with Assad in Damascus on Tuesday.
The Syrian opposition rejects any talks with the regime and says they accept nothing less than Assad’s departure.
Lavrov blamed both Assad’s regime and opposition forces for instigating the violence that has killed thousands of people since March.