Syria's foreign minister on Monday passed on the personal thanks of President Bashar al-Assad to Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin for his support, as he held talks in Moscow amid growing expectations of military action against the regime.
Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem held talks with Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov as US lawmakers were to return Monday from a summer break and debate whether to approve limited US military action in Syria.
"The president asked me to pass on his thanks to Putin for his position during and after the G20 summit" in Saint Petersburg last week, Muallem told Lavrov at the start of talks.
Lavrov assured Muallem that Moscow's position on Syria was "well known and not subject to changes".
"There is no alternative to a peaceful solution to the crisis in Syria" Lavrov said, rejecting any "military solution involving outside intervention".
Muallem told Lavrov that the US military intervention could destroy attempts to convene a peace conference in Geneva to end the bloodshed.
"Right up to now we are ready (to take part). But I do not know what could happen after an American aggression. It's possible the rockets will land and wreck this conference," he said.
His visit comes days after Putin refused to give ground on Russia's position over Syria in talks with world leaders at the G20 summit in Saint Petersburg.
Putin held an unscheduled meeting with US President Barack Obama but said afterwards that the two had failed to narrow their differences.
"He (Obama) disagrees with my arguments, I disagree with his arguments," Putin stated with characteristic bluntness.
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