Russia has come out in support of peacemaking efforts in Syria by UN-Arab league envoy Kofi Annan.

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told state television in an interview on Saturday that "the Syrian government should quickly, without delay, support [Annan's] approaches."

In remarks unusually critical of its longtime ally, Lavrov said Russia disagreed with many of the decisions taken by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad as the Syrian government tries to put down a year-long uprising.

"I repeat, we do not support the Syrian government. We support the need to start a political process. To do that it is first necessary to cease fire," Lavrov said.

"Disappointing response"

Annan met with Assad last weekend to urge a ceasefire. He also called for the deployment of monitors and political dialogue between government and opposition in a bid to put an end to bloody violence the United Nations says has killed more than 8,000 civilians.

Annan has suggested in talks with UN Security Council members that Damascus' response to his six-point peace proposal has been disappointing so far.

However, an envoy said his team was still in talks with Syria's government.

Council divided

The Security Council is, however, split over how a ceasefire should be implemented in Syria.

Russia wants government forces and the armed opposition to cease fire simultaneously, while the United States, Gulf Arabs and Europeans have called on Assad to make the first move.

Russia and China on February 4 both vetoed a Western-Arab UN Security Council resolution that would have condemned Assad's government for its actions.

Russia is a longtime ally of Syria, with Damascus having bought billions of dollars worth of Russian arms and hosting Russia's only naval base outside the former Soviet Union.

Ongoing violence

Violence meanwhile continues in Syria, with security sources Sunday reporting a car bomb attack in the second city of Aleppo.

Opposition sources said the explosion has killed and injured people in the al-Suleimaniya district, but there has been no exact toll given.

On Saturday, at least 27 people, mainly civilians, were killed in the capital, Damascus, in two bomb blasts targeting police headquarters in the Duwar al-Jamarek area and air force intelligence offices in Al-Qasaa district.

The Interior Ministry said another 140 civilians and security personnel were injured. The government has blamed the attacks on "terrorists". Commentators on state television blamed Qatar and Saudi Arabia, who are the fiercest Arab critics of Assad's crackdown on dissent.

Syria's opposition, however, has accused the Assad's regime of stage-managing the explosions.

tj/ipj (Reuters, AFP)