Russian Deputy Foreign Minister, Syrian opposition delegation discuss launch of negotiation process

MOSCOW, August 24. /TASS/. The prospects of the political settlement in Syria through negotiations involving all interested parties have been discussed on Monday during the meeting of Russian Presidential Envoy for the Middle East and Africa and Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov and the delegation of the Syrian "internal" opposition headed by leader of the Syrian Social Nationalist Party Ali Haidar, says a report released by the Russian Foreign Ministry on Monday. "There was a detailed exchange of views on the situation in and around Syria," the ministry said. "The primary focus was on the tasks of an early political settlement in Syria with a particular emphasis on the launch of the negotiation process by Syrians aimed at the fulfillment of the aspirations of the Syrian people in united, sovereign and secular Syria with the implementation of the legitimate rights of all ethnic and religious groups." Representatives of various Syrian political parties spoke highly of the inter-Syrian consultative meetings that took place in Moscow and "strongly supported the continuation of contacts" on "the Moscow platform," the Russian Foreign Ministry said. Read more