A key Syrian opposition figure on Tuesday called for a tougher stance by the Kremlin against the government of President Bashar al-Assad to end the violence in Syria, dpa reported.
Burhan Ghalioun, head of the Syrian National Council, said Russia should join international efforts to pressure al-Assad to halt army attacks on protesters seeking his ouster, according to the Interfax news agency.
"We did not succeed in changing Russia's position, and they did not succeed to change ours," he said, referring to Moscow's position against Western efforts in the United Nations to further isolate al-Assad.
"The pre-condition for any dialogue would be a regime declaration of its conversion to a democratic system. Without that, there can be no talks," Ghalioun said in a press conference in the Russian capital.