Russia Proposes Elections as Only Way to Resolve Syrian Crisis

While Washington and Brussels are discussing the fate of Syrian President Bashar Assad, Russia has proposed a more effective way to resolve the crisis in the war-torn country - hold elections and let the Syrians themselves decide the future of their country.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov proposed elections in Syria as part of a political solution to the conflict.

After his first meeting with US Secretary of State John Kerry in Vienna, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov continued discussions on the situation in Syria by phone.

According to reports, they spoke about the possible involvement of other stakeholders from the Middle East in the resolution of the conflict.

"Of course, parliamentary and presidential elections have to be prepared," Lavrov told the state TV Channel Rossiya 1 on Saturday.

Lavrov and Kerry are expected to continue their negotiations on the Syrian conflict in the coming days. The Russian Foreign Minister expressed his idea to organize an extended discussion, including Iran, Egypt, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan.

A civil war broke out in Syria in 2011, claiming lives of millions of people and forcing several millions more to flee the country. During his recent visit to Moscow on Wednesday, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said that the military phase of the conflict should be followed by a political process in order to restore peace and stability in the country, Lavrov stressed.