The international community should give the Syrian authorities time for reforms, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said on Thursday.
"The Syrian authorities have already made a few steps toward implementing the declared reform, and need more time to continue," Lukashevich said.
He said Moscow still thought it should be up to the Syrians themselves to resolve the crisis situation, without any external interference, within the law, and without violence against civilians in search of national accord on the basis of a broad dialogue.
MOSCOW, June 9 (RIA Novosti)