Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the Kremlin wanted Syria to prepare for parliamentary and presidential elections, as Moscow intensified its drive to convert its increased clout with Damascus into a political settlement.
In comments which mark a shift in Russia's position, he also said that Russia's air force, which has been bombing Islamist militants in Syria since Sept. 30, would be ready to help Western-backed Free Syrian Army rebels, if it knew where they were.
The Kremlin, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's strongest foreign ally, has spoken broadly about the need for elections in Syria before. But Lavrov's comments were its most specific call for political renewal yet and came just days after a surprise visit by Assad to Moscow.
"External players cannot decide anything for the Syrians. We must force them to come up with a plan for their country where the interests of every religious, ethnic and political group will be well protected," Lavrov told Russian state TV in an interview broadcast yesterday.
"They need to prepare for both parliamentary and presidential elections."
Lavrov said the Kremlin has discussed the need for political progress with Assad during his Moscow visit and that his army's increasing success on the battlefield, with Russian air support, would consolidate his government, making it more interested in pursuing a political path.
Lavrov's interview was broadcast a day after a meeting in Vienna between Russia, the United States, Turkey and Saudi Arabia where a political solution to Syria's civil war - now in its fifth year - was discussed.
US Secretary of State John Kerry said after that meeting he expected new talks on Syria to begin this week, and did not rule out the participation of Iran, something Moscow has pushed for.
Yesterday Lavrov and Kerry spoke about organising talks between the Syrian government and the opposition, the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement.
In a telephone conversation held at the request of the US side, the ministry said on its website that the two men had also discussed tapping the potential of other countries in the region to push the political process forward.
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