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By Alexander Winning and Tom Perry MOSCOW/BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's priority is to defeat "terrorists" before holding elections, but he is ready to call parliamentary and presidential polls if necessary, a Russian lawmaker who met him on Sunday said. The remarks are a first indication of Assad's response to a call by his Russian allies for new presidential and parliamentary elections, as Moscow tries to use its clout with Damascus to end almost five years of conflict in Syria. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, whose country has launched air strikes against Assad's opponents in Syria, called for the elections in an interview broadcast on Saturday.More...