Russian MP: Syrian president's priority is fighting terrorism, then elections

DAMASCUS (Reuters) - A Russian lawmaker who met President Bashar al-Assad on Sunday said the Syrian leader's priority was to fight and defeat terrorism and then hold parliamentary and presidential elections. Asked whether Assad was ready for early elections, Sergey Gavrilov said his impression from Assad was that "the first aim (is) the struggle with and victory over ... terrorism, and after that the elections - parliamentary and president elections". Gavrilov was speaking in English to Reuters in Damascus. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, in an interview broadcast on Saturday, called for Syria to prepare for both presidential and parliamentary elections. (Reporting by Kinda Makieh; Writing by Tom Perry; Editing by Andrew Heavens)