Russia Says It Is Not Critical For Assad To Stay In Power.

Russia says it is not crucial for Syria's President Bashar al-Assad to stay in power, saying it is up to the Syrian people to decide, the

Russian foreign ministry has said.
When asked if saving the Syrian leader was a matter of principle for Russia, spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said: "Absolutely not, we never said that."
"We are not saying that Assad should leave or stay," she added.
Russia is supporting the Syrian government with air strikes on rebels.

Ms Zakharova said on the Ekho Moskvy radio station that whether Mr Assad stayed or stepped down was not critical for Russia, but that it was up to the Syrian people to decide his fate.
Russia is seen as one of Mr Assad's strongest backers.
In September, Russia started carrying out air strikes against rebels in Syria, after Damascus suffered a string of defeats to both rebel forces and the Islamic State (IS) group.

Hosting a delegation of Russian parliamentarians in Damascus last month, Mr Assad expressed his gratitude for Moscow's support and said eliminating "terrorist" groups would resolve Syria's problems.
The US has said Mr Assad can have no part in Syria's political future.
Earlier on Tuesday, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov said that Moscow was aiming to host a round of talks between Syrian government officials and members of the country's opposition in Moscow next week. 
Source: BBC