Russia says ready to agree on U.N. resolution on Syria but with caveats

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov reacts during a news conference in Belgrade, Serbia, February 22, 2018. REUTERS/Djordje Kojadinovic

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia is ready to agree on a U.N. Security Council draft resolution in Syria but it needs guarantees on a ceasefire, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Friday.

"There are no guarantees that (the rebels) will not continue shooting at Damascus residential areas," Lavrov said in a briefing about discussions on a U.N. ceasefire resolution for Syria.

"That's why for the resolution to be efficient -- and we are ready to agree on the text which would make it so -- we propose a formula which would make the ceasefire real, based on the guarantees of all who are inside eastern Ghouta and outside eastern Ghouta," Lavrov said.

(Reporting by Vladimir Soldatkin; Editing by Robin Pomeroy and Angus MacSwan)