Official statement by the Russian Foreign Ministry on the events taking place in Syria

The Russian Foreign Ministry said on Sunday that Bashar al Assad has decided to step down from the presidency and has left the country.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement, “We’re following the tragic events taking place in Syria with great concern… As a result of negotiations between Bashar al Assad and a number of participants in the armed conflict on the territory of the Syrian Arab Republic, he decided to resign from his presidential post and left the country, giving instructions to carry out the process of transferring power peacefully”.

The statement indicated that Russia did not participate in these negotiations.

The Russian Foreign Ministry called on all parties concerned to make a convincing call to renounce the use of violence and resolve all governance issues through political means.

The Russian Foreign Ministry indicated that Russia is in contact with all Syrian opposition factions.

The Russian Foreign Ministry added, “We call for respecting the views of all ethnic and sectarian forces in Syrian society, and we support efforts to establish a comprehensive political process on the basis of UN Security Council Resolution 2254, which was adopted unanimously”.

The statement continued, “We hope that these trends will be taken into consideration by the United Nations and all concerned parties, including in the context of implementing the initiative of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations in Syria, Helman Pedersen, to urgently organize comprehensive negotiations between the Syrians in Geneva”.

“At the same time, all necessary measures are being taken to ensure the safety of our citizens in Syria,” the statement added.

The Russian Foreign Ministry confirmed that Russian military bases in Syria are on high alert. At the moment, there is no serious threat to their security.