World press review on US-Russia talks about Syria (December 10, 2012)

Russian and American diplomats have met in Geneva to discuss the

future of Syria with the UN envoy, Lakhdar Brahimi. The Guardian

published an article about these talks.

Sergey Lavrov insisted the meeting did not imply Moscow had softened

in its support for the Syrian leader, Bashar al-Assad. Lavrov stressed

that the agreement to meet over the deeply divisive issue did not

amount to Russian acknowledgement that Assad's fall was inevitable.

"US representatives started to make statements hinting that Russia is

changing its position. This is not true. We have not changed our

position, and only on these conditions we agreed to hold the Geneva

meeting," the Guardian quotes the Russian foreign minister. "We said

we would be ready under one condition: that the basis of such

brainstorming sessions will be formed by the Geneva document, without

any additions, without any ultimatums, without any preconditions like

President Assad's resignation."

"The US and its allies interpreted this to mean a government without

Assad, as he would not have the consent of the bulk of the opposition.

Russia and China took it to mean Assad could not be ousted without the

agreement of the regime", the Guardian concludes .