Top Syrian diplomat passes Assad’s thanks to Russia

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, according to AFP. 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.