20 Jul 2012 15:20

Russian ambassador has no exclusive information about al-Assad's agreement to resign - spokesman

MOSCOW. July 20 (Interfax) - Words of Russian Ambassador to France Alexander Orlov that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad allegedly agreed to step down were taken out of context, Sergei Barinov, spokesman for the Russian diplomatic mission in Paris, told Interfax on Friday.

"This phrase was taken out of context," he said.

Barinov responded negatively to a question whether or not the ambassador's remarks expressed Russia's official position.

"They did not express the position but just announced the available information because there are already interpretations that Russia's ambassador to France allegedly has exclusive information about al-Assad's readiness to resign. There is nothing like this," Barinov said.