By REUTERS
MOSCOW - Exiled Syrian opposition figures urged Russia on Tuesday to persuade Syria's President Bashar Assad to resign, warning that Moscow risked being left behind by history unless it withdrew its support for the leader.Senior Russian officials, who have thwarted Western attempts to condemn Assad for crushing protests against his rule, held a meeting with some of Assad's most vociferous critics in Moscow.The meeting was seen as a possible sign the Kremlin might be hedging its bets and trying to ensure its clout in the Middle Eastern country if Assad is toppled.Russia's Foreign Ministry said the Syrian opposition representatives came at the invitation of a regional cooperation society and that no official meetings were planned.
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