Russia urges new UN envoy to stick to Syria peace plan

Moscow - Russia hopes that Lakhdar Brahimi, the new UN-Arab League representative for Syria, will follow Kofi Annan's peace plan, the Geneva accords and UN Security Council resolutions.

Algeria's former foreign minister Brahimi replaced Annan as peace envoy to Syria Friday.

Brahimi, 78, formally accepted the post and will resume efforts for a diplomatic solution to Syria's crisis, said Eduardo del Buey, deputy spokesman for Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon.

"We act on the assumption that Brahimi will build his activity on the existing 'roadmap' for the Syrian settlement," the Russian foreign ministry said Saturday.

"We hope that he will continue contacts with all sides in Syria, encouraging them toward an early end to violence and the start of political dialog on the country's future."

The ministry said Russian diplomats are ready for close cooperation with the new envoy.

Moscow welcomed Brahimi's appointment and pledged support for him.

"We hope that the activity by this experienced diplomat will expedite the cessation of violence and political settlement in the country," Russian UN envoy Vitaly Churkin said.

"We will give him every assistance."

Annan, who assumed his post in February and authored a peace plan aimed at ending the Syrian conflict, announced in early August that he would quit by the end of the month citing the deadlock at the UN Security Council over ways to resolve the current political crisis in the country.