London: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is ‘fully committed to the cessation of violence’ in the country.
Lavrov arrived in Damascus buoyed by Russia''s decision to join China in vetoing a proposed United Nations resolution that would have urged Assad to step down.
The Kremlin believes this move will aid the cause of peace by maximising Russian influence in Syria.
"We confirm our readiness to fully support an early exit from the crisis on the basis of the position set out in the Arab League initiative,” The Telegraph quoted Lavrov, as saying.
“In particular, the Syrian president assured us that he is fully committed to the cessation of violence,” he added.
According to the report, Lavrov’s words were immediately undermined by the Syrian interior ministry, which pledged to press on with the offensive against “armed terrorist gangs” in Homs city.
“Operations to hunt down terrorist groups will continue until security and order are re-established in all neighbourhoods of Homs and its environs and until we overcome all armed persons terrorising citizens,” the ministry said in a statement.
Lavrov gave no sign that Assad had offered any new and specific commitments.
The promise to end the bloodshed has been made before, even as the death toll has climbed towards 6,000 since the conflict in March last year.