Russian Foreign Ministry: Assad has decided to step down as president and leave the country

As a result of negotiations between Bashar al-Assad and various participants in the armed conflict in the Syrian Arab Republic, Assad has decided to step down as president and leave the country, instructing that power be transferred peacefully, Russia’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

“Russia has not participated in these negotiations.

We are making a compelling call on all parties involved to refrain from the use of violence and resolve all governance issues through political means. Russia is in contact with all groups of the Syrian opposition on this matter. We are calling for respect for the opinions of all ethnic and religious forces in Syrian society and support efforts to establish an inclusive political process based on the unanimously adopted U.N. Security Council Resolution 2254.

Russian military bases in Syria are on high alert, and there is currently no serious threat to their security,” the ministry stated.