MOSCOW, August 29 (Itar-Tass) —— President Dmitry Medvedev sent a message to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Monday, August 29, urging the authorities and the opposition to stop violence and start declared reforms in the country.
“In the course of the conversation, while discussing the situation in Syria, the Russian side placed the main emphasis on the need for an urgent and full stop to violence on either side, and for immediate concrete steps to carry out the reforms declared by the leadership of the Syrian Arab Republic,” the presidential press service said.
“It was also stressed that the opposition should not avoid the dialogue proposed by the authorities because this is the only way to restore civil peace and accord and Syria’ s movement along the road of democratic reforms,” it said.
The message was delivered in Damascus by Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov.