Russian foreign ministry hopes participants in Syrian talks in Moscow will agree common platform for further dialogue

MOSCOW, January 26. /TASS/. Russia’s foreign ministry said on Monday it hopes that participants in the intra-Syrian consultations in Moscow will agree a common platform to launch a dialogue between the government and the opposition. Informal intra-Syrian contacts started on Monday in Moscow. “As of now, they are attended by more than 30 Syrian politicians representing a wide spectrum of opposition organizations and a number of independent politicians,” the Russian foreign ministry said. “Discussions are held behind closed doors, with no press admitted.” “Also on Monday, a delegation of the Syrian government arrived in Moscow. It is led by Syria’s Permanent Representative at the United Nations Bashar al-Jafari. The delegation will join the consultations on January 28,” the ministry said. “We hope that participants in the consultations moderated by a group of Russian academic figures led by Director of the Russian Academy of Science’s Institute of Oriental Studies Vitaly Naumkin will finally agree a common platform that will be used as a basis for an inclusive dialogue between the Syrian government and the opposition in line with the Geneva communiqué of June 30, 2012 in the interests of putting an end to the fratricidal bloodshed and suffering of the Syrian people, consolidating forces to counteract terrorism and extremism and reaching a prompt political settlement on the basis of establishing Syria as a single, sovereign, secular and democratic state where all citizens and ethnic and religious groups will feel safe and comfortable,” the ministry said. Read more