No One Is Going to Argue with Syrians about Country’s Constitution — Zakharaova

MOSCOW- No one is going to argue with the Syrians about the Syrian Constitution issue, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, told a press briefing on Friday.

“Moscow does not impose its own solutions, it just offers to speed up very complex work on drafting such a document,” the diplomat said commenting on the draft Constitution proposed by Russia. “In fact, this document is a questionnaire on what Syria’s Constitution could be like. This set of ideas suggests that the Syrians themselves will search for an answer,” Zakharavo added, according to Itar Tass.

“The Russian experts also suggested possible options for such search, which are based on international legal approaches towards the Syrian settlement and which are declared in decisions by the UN Security Council and the International Syria Support Group,” Zakharova said.

 “One may agree or disagree with what was presented in Astana,” she noted. “It is important to make sure that the process of discussing the future Syrian draft Constitution is launched, a broad discussion process should begin.”

“No one is going to argue with the Syrians themselves about these sovereign issues for Syria,” the diplomat stressed.

Syrian truce

Positive trends in the Syrian “truce” are strengthening, Zakharova said.

“Positive trends after the December 30 ceasefire are strengthening,” the spokeswoman said.

We are satisfied with the Astana meeting as regards the strengthening of the ceasefire and the expansion of its zone. The efforts by UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura also played an important role,” the Russian diplomat said.

The potential of Astana as a venue is quite high but it does not substitute the Syria talks in Geneva, the spokeswoman said.

“We support the resumption of the inter-Syrian dialog whose format should be broad and inclusive,” the diplomat said.

“We are taking steps for assistance to the Geneva process,” she said.

Geneva talks postponed until end of February — Lavrov

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at the meeting with the Syrian opposition members in Moscow that UN-brokered Syria talks in Geneva have been postponed from February 8 until the end of month.

“It is pleasant that the announcement of the Astana meeting forced our colleagues in the UN to declare a new round of talks,” Lavrov said. “Although this date has been again put off from February 8 until the end of next month.”

The UN’s attempts to delay the next round of the intra-Syrian negotiations is unacceptable, Lavrov said.

“We are convinced that passivity of our counterparts at the UN who did not hold any talks rounds since April is unacceptable,” he said.

H.M