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FC delegation to leave for Syria for talks with authorities, opposition

A delegation of Russia’s Federation Council, headed by Deputy Speaker Ilyas Umakhanov, will visit Syria on September 17-20

MOSCOW, September 17 (Itar-Tass) —— A delegation of Russia’s Federation Council, headed by Deputy Speaker Ilyas Umakhanov, will visit Syria on September 17-20, the FC staff told Itar-Tass.

In Damascus, the Russian lawmakers plan to "meet with representatives of the authorities and the opposition." The purpose of the trip is to clarify the picture of events occurring in that country and to seek ways for leading Syria out of the political crisis, the sources said.

In this context, the Federation Council officials recalled that for Russia it was unacceptable to let the situation in Syria follow the Libyan scenario. "It is important to avoid clashes and to prevent large-scale foreign military intervention,” sources at the Federation Council said.

At the same time the meetings in Damascus are expected to defend Russia's interests in Syria, a country with which Russia has had years-long relations of friendship and mutually beneficial partnership.

To achieve these objectives upper house members intend to exchange views with the widest spectrum of political forces in Syria. It is not excluded that apart from Damascus the Russian legislators parliamentarians will visit other Syrian cities.

The delegation includes deputy chairman of the Federation Council’s committee on legal and judicial affairs, Mikhail Kapur and deputy chairman of the Federation Council’s committee on international affairs, Ziyad Sabsabi.

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