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Middle East and North Africa

Moscow expects Syrian opposition to accept Annan’s settlement plan

“The Syrian authorities have accepted the Annan plan, and the special envoy has expressed his tentative optimism” - Gatilov

Photo EPA/ITAR-TASS

Photo EPA/ITAR-TASS

MOSCOW, March 27 (Itar-Tass) —— Moscow expects the Syrian opposition to accept the settlement plan of UN/LAS Special Envoy Kofi Annan, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov microblogged on Tuesday.

“The Syrian authorities have accepted the Annan plan, and the special envoy has expressed his tentative optimism. That is a step forward. The ball is in the opposition’s court,” he wrote.

Another Russian Deputy Foreign Minister, Mikhail Bogdanov, said the other day that a Syrian opposition delegation would come to Moscow soon and might have a meeting with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

“The delegation will present the National Coordination Committee,” he said. “One of its leaders, Hassan Abdel Azim, will visit us. Our minister has received the head of the Syrian National Council Burhan Ghalioun. The National Coordination Committee is a no less influential organization, and we would like to receive it on an equally high level,” Bogdanov said.

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