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Russia ready to provide venue for dialogue among Syrian forces

"If the opposition does not want to go to Damascus... this can be Turkey or Russia’s territory,” Lavrov said

MOSCOW, January 25 (Itar-Tass) — Russia is ready to provide a venue for a dialogue among different Syrian forces, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday after the talks with his Turkish counterpart Ahmet Davutoglu.

“As for a venue for a dialogue among different Syrian forces, we will welcome any variant that will be convenient for all of them. If the opposition does not want to go to Damascus, this can be Cairo, the headquarters of the League of Arab States, this can be Turkey or Russia’s territory,” he said.

“It is important for all of us to pool efforts to persuade the Syrians to sit at the negotiating table,” the minister said. “It is especially important to dissociate from the armed groups that should also in compliance with the initiative of the League of Arab States to stop violence. In this case the process should be mutual.”

“It is very important for all members of the world community to act in unison making the parties to reject the use of force and sit at the negotiating table,” Lavrov said.