Former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his family have arrived in Moscow and have been granted asylum by Russia for humanitarian reasons, local RIA news agency reported Sunday, citing a source from the Kremlin, said Xinhua.
Earlier, Syrian rebels have declared the capital Damascus “liberated” after entering the city to scant resistance from regime forces, while claiming President Bashar al-Assad has fled the capital, losing his decades-long grip on power, reported Cable News Network (CNN).
Bashar al-Assad has left Syria and resigned as the country's President while calling for a peaceful transfer of power, reported Xinhua, qouting a statement of the Russian Foreign Ministry on Sunday.
"After negotiations with some of the participants in the armed conflict within the Arab Syrian Republic, Bashar al-Assad decided to resign as president and leave the country, while instructing for a peaceful transfer of power," said the Russian Foreign Ministry.
The ministry added that Russia did not participate in any talks related to a transfer of power and strongly called on all concerned parties to abandon violence and resolve all governance issues through political means.
Russian military bases in Syria are on high alert, but their security is not seriously threatened, said the ministry, adding that Russia is in contact with all Syrian opposition groups.
The ministry said that Russia supports the efforts to establish an inclusive political process based on Resolution 2254 of the UN Security Council and expects the involvement of the UN and the Security Council.
- Assad
- Families
- Moscow
Source: www.dailyfinland.fi
