Russian legislators offer American counterparts meeting on Syria

Speaker of the Russian Upper House Valentina Matviyenko has suggested to the leader of the democratic majority at the U.S. Congress Harry Reid immediately convening a meeting of representatives of the parliaments of the two countries in order to take mutual steps for settlement of the Syrian problem. The Russian parliamentarians are ready to meet either in Washington or in Moscow or in any other place convenient for the U.S. side, Matviyenko said in a message addressed to the U.S. congressman. The Russian speaker has called on the U.S.congressman to make every possible effort in order to prevent the dramatic developments in Syria from turning into a large-scale regional catastrophe. Using force against Syria torn by the civil war in circumvention of the UN Security Council would be an act of outrageous violation of the norms of the international law and play into the hands of the extremist and radical groups in the Middle East, Matviyenko warned in the message. The Russian speaker urged the leader of the democratic majority in the U.S. Congress to refrain from hasty resolutions and reasonably assess the consequences of a possible strike. The most horrible thing would be the death of thousands, thousands of people, including women and children, Matvieynko warned. \"As a parliamentarian and a diplomat I call upon you to make joint efforts so as to avert fatal acts while it is not too late,\" the Russian speaker stressed. Valentina Matviyenko and State Duma Speaker Sergei Naryshkin suggested using a dialogue between the Russian and American parliaments to resolve the Syrian crisis at a meeting with President Putin on Monday. “We think it necessary to engage the parliaments of our countries more actively. We want to ask the [U.S.] senators and members of the U.S. House of Representatives to start a dialogue with Russian partners,” Matviyenko said. “I am ready to support whatever I can,” Putin said and promised to talk to Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to get the Foreign Ministry’s support.