Οι Σύριοι υποδέχονται με ενθουσιασμό τον LAVROF

Οι Σύριοι υποδέχονται με ενθουσιασμό τον LAVROF

Syrian forces resumed their intense bombardment of the restive central city of Homs on Tuesday as Russia’s foreign minister Sergei Lavrov held talks in Damascus with Bashar al-Assad.

Speaking after meeting the president, Mr Lavrov said Mr Assad would soon set a date for a referendum on a new constitution. Russia’s Itar-Tass news agency quoted Mr Lavrov as saying: "President Assad informed (me) that he will meet in the coming days with the commission that prepared a draft of the new constitution." 

Mr Lavrov confirmed to reporters he would be carrying a message to Mr Assad from Dmitry Medvedev, Russia’s president, but declined to reveal its contents. He was accompanied by Russia’s foreign intelligence chief Mikhail Fradkov. “Every leader of every country must be aware of his share of responsibility. You are aware of yours,” state-run RIA quoted Mr Lavrov as saying at the talks in Damascus.

Russia, which has a military base in Syria and sells weapons to the government, has been pressing for an acceleration of political reforms in Damascus. But Syrian opposition activists say no measure of reform can make the Assad regime regain credibility.