Syrian opposition sees no change in Russian stance

[July 11, 2012]  MOSCOW (AP) -- The leader of a Syrian opposition group says that after talks with Russia's foreign minister he sees "no change" in Moscow's stance toward Syrian President Bashar Assad.

A delegation from the Syrian National Council met with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Wednesday with the aim of pushing Russia to accept Assad's ouster as part of a political transition in Syria.

The exiled group's new leader, Abdelbaset Sieda, called the Syrian conflict a "revolution in the direct sense of the word" and recommended "intervention by the U.N." to bring a halt to the violence.

Activists say more than 17,000 people have been killed since the uprising began in March 2011.

Russia has insisted that any political transition have the consent of both Assad's government and the opposition.

[Associated Press]

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