Syrian FM Walid al-Moallem leads delegation to Moscow, meets Lavrov

(25 Feb 2013)
1. Wide of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his Syrian counterpart Walid al-Moallem entering room for talks
2. Wide of Lavrov and al-Moallem taking seats
3. Cutaway of cameramen
4. Mid of Russian officials
5. SOUNDBITE (Russian) Sergey Lavrov, Russian Foreign Minister:
"We stand for the independent and united Syria where all groups of people of any nationality and confession, regardless of political views, could live free in the conditions of peace, stability and democracy."
6. Mid of Syrian delegation
7. SOUNDBITE (Russian with Arabic translation) Sergey Lavrov, Russian Foreign Minister:
"The number of supporters of such a realistic line (policy) (meaning peaceful settlement of conflict) is on the increase. (Interpreter speaks). This is felt by those who would like to continue the war until the bitter end. They try to stifle the positive sentiments within the opposition and prevent the start of a dialogue."
8. Cutaway of cameramen
9. SOUNDBITE (Russian) Sergey Lavrov, Russian Foreign Minister:
"In these conditions, the necessity for the Syrian leadership to continue, consequentially, is to stand for the start of the dialogue and not allow any provocations to prevail and increase many-fold."
10. Wide of meeting
11. SOUNDBITE (Arabic with Russian translation) Walid al-Moallem, Syrian Foreign Minister:
"We're ready for a dialogue with anyone who's willing for it (++Interpreter speaks++), even with those who carry arms. We are confident that reforms will come about not with the help of bloodshed but through dialogue."
12. Mid of Russian officials
13. SOUNDBITE (Arabic with Russian translation) Walid al-Moallem, Syrian Foreign Minister:
"We will continue the peaceful policy persistently (++Interpreter speaks++). But at the same time we will continue to fight against terrorism."
14. Wide of meeting
15. Wide of exterior Russian Foreign Ministry guesthouse building
STORYLINE:
Syria's foreign minister told Russian diplomats on Monday that his government is ready to hold talks with the armed opposition, but he did not say whether Damascus expects the rebels to lay down arms first.
Walid al-Moallem made the remarks in Moscow as he met with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov.
"We're ready for a dialogue with anyone who's willing for it, even with those who carry arms," Walid al-Moallem said.
"We are confident that reforms will come about not with the help of bloodshed but through dialogue," he said.
Russia and the Arab League last week said they will attempt to establish direct contact between the two sides in the conflict, which the United Nations says has killed at least 70-thousand people.
Lavrov, whose country is one of Syrian President Bashar Assad's closest allies, called on Damascus to hold negotiations with the opposition.
"We stand for the independent and united Syria where all groups of people of any nationality and confession, regardless of political views, could live free in the conditions of peace, stability and democracy," Lavrov said on Monday.
He added that anyone seeking to continue the conflict in Syria were sabotaging the government's efforts to establish contact with the Syrian opposition.


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