(13 Mar 2012) 1. Wide of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Philippines Foreign Minister Albert del Rosario entering hall
2. Close up of photographers taking pictures
3. Wide of talks between delegations
4. Close up of Lavrov speaking
5. Close up of Albert del Rosario speaking
6. Wide of talks
7. Cutaway of Russian and Philippines flags
8. Wide of Sergey Lavrov and Albert del Rosario holding news conference
9. SOUNDBITE (Russian) Sergey Lavrov, Russian Foreign Minister:
"The aim is to make both sides (Syrian government and Syrian opposition) realise that they will be monitored by independent observers, who will see how they follow the demand of an immediate ceasefire that will be put forward. It must be conducted simultaneously. There shouldn't be a situation when there will be demands for the government to pull out of cities and villages, but no such demands will be put to armed groups."
10. Wide of media
11. SOUNDBITE (Russian) Sergey Lavrov, Russian Foreign Minister:
"It's unrealistic not because we want the bloodshed to continue, but because a unilateral pullout of the government forces is absolutely unrealistic. The Syrian government will not do that, no matter if we want that or not, and everybody understands that well."
12. Cutaway cameramen
13. Lavrov and Albert del Rosario standing up
STORYLINE:
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that a cease-fire in Syria would have to be observed by both government forces and the opposition and requires international monitoring.
"Both parties should realise that they will be monitored by independent observers who will see how they observe the demand for an immediate cease-fire that will be put forward," Lavrov said on Tuesday at a joint news conference with his Philippines counterpart Albert del Rosario.
"There shouldn't be a situation where there are demands for the government to pull out of cities and villages and no demands put to armed groups" to do the same, he added.
Lavrov said Syrian leader Bashar Assad wouldn't agree to withdraw his forces if the opposition fails to respond in the same way.
"A unilateral pullout of government forces would be absolutely unrealistic. The Syrian government will not do that," the Russian Foreign Minister said.
Russia has shielded Syria, its last ally in the Arab world, from U.N. sanctions over the Assad regime's bloody suppression of an uprising against his government.
Moscow has been a steadfast ally of Syria since Soviet times, when it was led by the current president's father, Hafez Assad, and has long supplied Damascus with aircraft, missiles, tanks and other heavy weapons.
Moscow insists it will block any U.N. resolution that could pave the way for a replay of what happened in Libya, where NATO action helped oust Moammar Gadhafi.
Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, who won presidential elections on March 4, has recently accused the West of fuelling the Syrian conflict by refusing to also demand from Assad's opponents to pull out from besieged cities along with government troops.
In Geneva, the UN refugee agency said 230-thousand Syrians have fled their homes since the uprising against Assad's regime began last year.
The UN says more than 7,500 people have been killed in the past 12 months.

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