Russian foreign minister visits Syria

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is on Tuesday visiting Syria amid ongoing clashes in that Middle Eastern country. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad will declare a date in the near future for a referendum on a new constitution Lavrov said in Damascus today. Russian foreign minister visits Syria Al-Assad is ready for dialogue with all political forces in the country, and also ready to make talks happen, Lavrov continued. "It's clear that effort to stop use of force must coincide with a declaration of dialogue between all political forces. Today we have received confirmation of the Syrian President's readiness to work toward this task," he added. The visit today came as Syria's army intensified its crackdown in Homs and other cities, euronews is reporting. Opposition members say 50 people died in the continued bombardment while Syrian security forces say they killed “tens of terrorists”. Lavrov is in Syria after his country and China blocked a UN resolution calling for President Bashar-al Assad to give up power. "The fact that Russia and China chose to align themselves with a dictator who is on his last legs rather than the people of Syria, rather that the people of the Middle East, rather than the principled views of the rest of the international community, was indeed disgusting and shameful and I think that over time it is a decision they will come to regret when there is a democratic Syria that won’t forget this action," said U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice said. Ahead of the visit, Lavrov said the UN Security Council was too hasty in bringing the resolution to a vote and described western condemnation of Moscow’s veto as “hysterical", RIA Novosti is reporting. Lavrov added that Security Council members were seeking to “blame the unrest on somebody” and accused “interested parties” of trying to topple Assad's regime by encouraging the activities of armed groups and supplying them with weapons. He also said that Russia was “surprised” at the Council’s rejection of the Russian proposed amendments to the text, but that Russia continued to support the Arab League’s efforts to halt violence in Syria. China also defended its move on Monday, saying the proposed resolution would not help defuse the conflict. Sergei Lavrov (Beta/AP, file) euronews, RIA Novosti

Russian foreign minister visits Syria

Al-Assad is ready for dialogue with all political forces in the country, and also ready to make talks happen, Lavrov continued.

"It's clear that effort to stop use of force must coincide with a declaration of dialogue between all political forces. Today we have received confirmation of the Syrian President's readiness to work toward this task," he added.

The visit today came as Syria's army intensified its crackdown in Homs and other cities, euronews is reporting.

Opposition members say 50 people died in the continued bombardment while Syrian security forces say they killed “tens of terrorists”.

Lavrov is in Syria after his country and China blocked a UN resolution calling for President Bashar-al Assad to give up power.

"The fact that Russia and China chose to align themselves with a dictator who is on his last legs rather than the people of Syria, rather that the people of the Middle East, rather than the principled views of the rest of the international community, was indeed disgusting and shameful and I think that over time it is a decision they will come to regret when there is a democratic Syria that won’t forget this action," said U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice said.

Ahead of the visit, Lavrov said the UN Security Council was too hasty in bringing the resolution to a vote and described western condemnation of Moscow’s veto as “hysterical", RIA Novosti is reporting.

Lavrov added that Security Council members were seeking to “blame the unrest on somebody” and accused “interested parties” of trying to topple Assad's regime by encouraging the activities of armed groups and supplying them with weapons.

He also said that Russia was “surprised” at the Council’s rejection of the Russian proposed amendments to the text, but that Russia continued to support the Arab League’s efforts to halt violence in Syria.

China also defended its move on Monday, saying the proposed resolution would not help defuse the conflict.