Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet U.N. special envoy Kofi Annan in Moscow on Tuesday to discuss the crisis in Syria, the Kremlin said on Sunday.
Annan is expected to increase international pressure on
Russia to do more to help end the bloodshed in Syria following
accusations by the Syrian opposition that Moscow is prolonging
the conflict by propping up President Bashar al-Assad.
The Kremlin said Putin would underline Russia’s support for
Annan’s peace plan, which calls for both the government and
opposition in Syria to work together to end the crisis.
“During the course of the upcoming meeting, the plan is to
ensure Russia’s support for Annan’s peace plan for the
political, democratic regulation of the crisis in Syria,”
Putin’s press service said in a statement.
“It is the Russian side’s understanding that this plan is
the only viable platform for the solution of Syria’s internal
problems.”
Russia has repeatedly defended Assad at the U.N. Security
Council since the start of the uprising in Syria 16 months ago
and vetoed several Western resolutions calling for foreign
intervention in Syria.
Annan is expected on Monday to meet Russian Foreign Minister
Lavrov on Monday. An aide to Annan had said on Friday that the
envoy also expected to see Putin during his visit.
A deputy to Lavrov said on Friday that Russia would urge
Annan to work more with the Syrian opposition, but Moscow failed
to find common ground with opposition leaders at talks in Moscow
last week.
