Geneva talks mark turning point in Syrian settlement - Russian Foreign Ministry

MOSCOW, January 29. /TASS/. Talks in Geneva will serve as a turning point in the Syrian settlement, Russian Foreign Ministry’s official spokesperson Maria Zakharova said on Friday. "This is a very important turning point in the settlement, in the sense of looking for compromise and new ways to reach peaceful settlement," Zakharova said. "In this respect, we call on all sides to actively participate in the work and give up setting preconditions in order to look for effective ways to reach settlement in the Syrian Arab Republic," she added. "We confirm our position (on the Syrian opposition) that work should be based on principles of inclusiveness," she noted. Zakharova said that Russian experts are working at inter-Syrian talks in Geneva. Inter-Syrian talks are expected to be launched in Geneva today. On Monday UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura said that negotiations will last for six months but the first stage will take two-three weeks. Negotiations on Syria "in Vienna format" will be held in Munich on February 11 ahead of Munich Security Conference. Read more