Syria opposes attempts to 'blacken' Russia on South Ossetia: Assad

Moscow, Aug 21 (UNI) Expressing support to Russia, Syrian President Bashar Assad today said Syria was against any attempt to 'blacken Russia' on the Georgia's breakaway region of South Ossetia.

He said Syria backed Russia's reaction to Georgia provocation.

''I want to express support to Russia in the situations around Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Syria understands Russia's stance and believes its military reaction was a response to a provocation by Georgia,'' Mr Assad said at the talks with the Russian President Dmitry Medvedev at Bocharov Ruuchei in the Black Sea resort of Sochi today.

Mr Assad also praised what he called Russia's ''courageous'' decision to withdraw its troops from the Georgian-South Ossetian conflict zone.

''We praise Russia's courage in that it has decided to comply with international initiatives and withdraw its troops from the conflict zone,'' Interfax news agency quoted him as saying.

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