Assad Thanks Russia for Support Against Foreign Intervention – SANA

RIA Novosti

17:31 18/09/2013 Originally posted at 14:47 MOSCOW, September 18 (RIA Novosti) – Syria’s President Bashar Assad thanked Moscow on Wednesday for supporting Damascus as it was confronted with the threat of foreign intervention and terrorism, the Syrian state-run news agency SANA reported.

At a meeting with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, Assad said Russia’s stance could lead to the establishment of a new balance of power in the world, SANA reported.

While Moscow confirmed that the meeting took place, it has not revealed any details about Assad and Ryabkov’s discussion.

The Russian Embassy’s press attaché in Syria told RIA Novosti that on Tuesday, Ryabkov had spent several hours in talks with the Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem.

Tuesday’s negotiations touched on the Russian-US plan to place Syrian chemical weapons stockpiles under international control.

The United States is pushing for a UN Security Council resolution that would allow the use of military force against Syria in response to its failure to comply with the plan, US State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said Tuesday, hours after Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that option is a nonstarter.

Updated with SANA report and new headline.