Russia rejects as 'joke' requests to host Assad in exile

MOSCOW: Russia on Thursday confirmed that some of its partners had approached Moscow with the idea of hosting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in exile but said it had dismissed the suggestion as a joke.

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov revealed that Germany in June had suggested that Russia should take on Assad. "Our side thought this was a joke," he told reporters, adding that he was "quite surprised" that Russia's partners had recently again raised the issue. (AFP)