US special envoy for Syria to visit Moscow in May

WASHINGTON, May 15. /TASS/. US Special Envoy to Syria Daniel Rubinstein is due to visit Moscow later this month, the Department of State said in a statement released on Thursday. "As part of our ongoing efforts to bring about a political solution to the Syrian conflict, U.S. Special Envoy to Syria Daniel Rubinstein will travel May 15-27 to Geneva, Moscow, Ankara, Istanbul, and Riyadh," the statement reads. The US envoy will participate in the UN-led consultations on Syria with UN Envoy Staffan de Mistura. He is expected to "discuss with officials of several governments the need for a sustainable political transition based on the Geneva principles, and continue his engagement with the leadership of Syria’s moderate political opposition." "The United States remains firmly of the belief that Bashar al-Assad has no role in Syria’s political future," the Department of State said. This trip reaffirms Washington’s "strong commitment to working with the international community and the moderate Syrian opposition to create conditions for a negotiated political transition as the only means to end the ongoing conflict," it stressed. According to UN data, fighting between Syrian government troops and militants has killed more than 200,000 people and displaced millions since its start in 2011. Read more