Putin: Political reform in Syria not possible through external interference

St. PETERSBURG — Russia is ready to hold talks with the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to conduct political reforms in the country, the Russian President Vladimir Putin said.

Putin was speaking Friday at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.

“We are ready to work with the president to ensure a path towards political transition so as to … move away from an armed confrontation. But that should not be done with the use of force from the outside,” he added, indicating that Russia would urge the President to work with a peaceful opposition on political reforms.

 Asked whether Russia might ask President al-Assad to step down, the Russian President said it is up to the Syrian people to decide on this.

“Our fear is that Syria could plunge into the same situation as Libya and Iraq,” Putin said in response to questions at the forum.”We don’t want that … in Syria.”

On June 18th 2015, the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) kicked off and will last till June 20. It gathers leading decision-makers from emerging economic powers to identify and deliberate key challenges facing Russia, emerging markets and the world at large.

SANA