[link to www.breakingnews.com]


Russia called on Friday for an urgent ceasefire in the Syrian city of Homs and urged both the government and "armed groups" to cooperate with humanitarian relief efforts by a U.N. envoy and the International Committee of the Red Cross.

The Foreign Ministry expressed "serious concern" about violence in Homs and other Syrian cities and said it must end, but maintained Moscow's position that both sides were responsible for the bloodshed, not only President Bashar al-Assad's government.

Russia also said humanitarian relief must not lead to military interference, which it opposes, and reiterated criticism of a "Friends of Syria" meeting of Western and Arab states in Tunisia that Russia says is not sufficiently inclusive.

Read more: [link to www.kyivpost.com]