Russian, French FMs discuss UNSC draft resolution on Syria

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov discussed here Thursday with his French counterpart Jean-Marc Ayrault a Paris-sponsored United Nations Security Council (UNSC) draft resolution on Syria.

At a briefing after their talks, Lavrov said Russia was ready to work on the draft based on the fundamental approaches in the Russia-U.S. ceasefire agreement in Syria reached in September.

Ayrault said their talks about the resolution were "constructive," but he also admitted that there were still obstacles to be removed for its adoption.

The UNSC was expected to discuss the resolution on Thursday, according to the Security Council President for October Vitaly Churkin.

Lavrov hoped that Mocow's amendments and ideas would be taken into account at the United Nations.

The United States announced on Monday it suspended talks with Russia on the ceasefire in Syria, accusing Moscow of violating their truce accord.

In response, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Monday that the United States was trying to shift the blame on Russia.

"Washington has simply failed to live up to the key commitment under the agreements -- to facilitate the humanitarian assistance to residents of the Aleppo city...(and) to apply pressure on the armed opposition groups," the ministry's spokeswoman Maria Zakharova was quoted as saying by the RIA Novosti news agency.

However, Lavrov voiced at Thursday's briefing Moscow's willingness to continue working with Washington. "We did not want to ensure safety there alone, let us do it together with U.S. servicemen," he said. Endit