Russia thinks it unadvisable to advance preliminary conditions for national dialogue in Syria - Russia’s negotiator

ASTANA, October 31. /TASS/. Moscow thinks that it is unadvisable for the Syrian opposition to put forth any preliminary conditions for participation in national dialogue, Russian president’s special envoy on Syria and head of Russia’s delegation to the Astana peace talks Alexander Lavrentyev said on Tuesday. "Concerning such an important issue as national dialogue, it is unadvisable and unjustified to advance any preliminary conditions for one’s participation," he said. "Because the Syrian central government can also come out with preliminary conditions. So, all demands that may be rather inflated should be put aside in order to go forward and try to prove one’s point of view." "This is the only right way to reach a good result," he stressed. He called on the Syrian opposition to take part in a congress of Syria’s national dialogue to be convened in Russia’s Sochi on November 18. "If there are preliminary conditions, non-constructive approach and the opposition refuses to come, it will mean denying a helping hand," Lavrentyev said. "We would not like it to happen." "We will continue work with those representatives of the armed opposition who think that Syria is to go on as a united, territorially integral, sovereign and secular state with a democratic form of government," he said. "If they accept these criteria, they are welcome at the Sochi forum. If not, their presence will be undesirable." "We are now working on a certain list of criteria that will be part of invitation to the meeting. If anyone is against these principles, he or she will not come. In this event, they are running the risk of finding themselves on the margins of political process," the Russian diplomat underscored. Read more