Moscow urges UN observers to stay

Moscow believes the UN observers in Syria should continue their work there, as a withdrawal of the mission would cause "extremely negative consequences", the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday.

The format of the mission could be changed, but it shouldn't be fully curtailed, as the UN presence in Syria serves as an important source of first-hand information in the conflict-torn country, the ministry's information department told the Interfax News Agency.

"We support an extension of the UN observer mission's mandate in Syria. Its format may be modified to fit the current situation in the country," the ministry said.