Russia calls on all political forces in Syria, including the opposition, to ensure that a referendum on the new draft constitution takes place.

The referendum is scheduled for February 26.

A statement released by the Russian Foreign Ministry says: “We hope that all parties in Syria, including the opposition, will do their best to let the Syrian people express their political will in a democratic way. But for this to happen, both sides in the Syrian conflict must stop violence and start a dialogue.”

On Wednesday, Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad expressed hope that the new constitution would be based on the principles of freedom, democracy, human rights and pluralism.

If the new constitution is adopted, Syria will hold multi-party parliamentary elections in May.

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