According to diplomatic sources of the newspaper “al-Hayat”, which is distributed in most Arab countries, the UN Security Council, which refers to the information of U.S. Secretary of state John Kerry, Russia and the US reached an agreement on the future political process in Syria.
“We are talking about the departure of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad of moving to another country,” — said the source publication, not specifying the time frame for the resignation of the Syrian President and the details of this process.
The source, “al-Hayat” noted that Russia and the US “reached an understanding” using diplomatic channels.
He stressed that the members of the UN security Council “welcomed and supported the steadfastness of the ceasefire in Syria, as well as the positive effects of the truce, which was reflected in the work on humanitarian assistance” in the area.
In late February, Russia and the United States agreed to the introduction into Syria of the cease-fire. Last week an official visit to Moscow was visited by Secretary of state John Kerry. His talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Russian foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov lasted four hours. At a press conference on the results of that conversation, Kerry said that he discussed with the Russian leader a number of topics, including Syria.
Earlier this week, Deputy foreign Minister of Russia Oleg Syromolotov said that in the beginning of March in Moscow also visited CIA Director John Brennan. According to the diplomat, the head of the CIA communicated with the leadership of the FSB. Later, the press Secretary of the U.S. Embassy William Stevens stated that during the visit, Brennan raised the issue of possible resignation of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. While the President’s press Secretary Dmitry Peskov said that the Kremlin at Brennan “no contact.”
Earlier, in January of this year, the Financial Times, citing sources in Western intelligence reported that the chief of the GRU Igor Sergun, about the untimely death of which the Kremlin announced on 4 January, a few weeks before his death he traveled to Damascus to convince the Syrian President to resign. According to the FT, President Assad “angrily refused” the offer of Moscow.
Later, the press Secretary of the President of Russia said that the message that FT is not true.
Moscow has repeatedly stated that to decide the fate of the Syrian President should the people of the country. U.S. officials believe Assad’s removal from power a prerequisite for a political settlement of the conflict in Syria.
