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Middle East and North Africa

Russia regrets US cancels bilateral meeting on Syria

Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov: resolution efforts useful when use of force against Syria is impending

Gennady Gatilov, Photo ITAR-TASS archive/ Valery Sharifulin

Gennady Gatilov, Photo ITAR-TASS archive/ Valery Sharifulin

MOSCOW, August 27 (Itar-Tass) - Russia regrets that the United States has decided to cancel a bilateral meeting on Syrian in The Hague, Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov stated in his Twitter microblog.

“It is regrettable that the partners have decided to cancel the bilateral Russian-US meeting to discuss issues of calling an international conference on Syria,” he noted. “The development of the Syrian political resolution parameters would be extremely useful at a time when use of force against Syria is impending.”

The US Department of State said on Tuesday that the meeting of between Russian and US officials on the preparation for the Geneva-2 conference that had been planned in The Hague for August 28, has been postponed. Given the ongoing consultations on the development of an appropriate response to a chemical weapons attack in Syria, the US side has decided to postpone the meeting of US Deputy Secretary (for Political Affairs Wendy) Sherman and Ambassador (Robert) Ford with (members) of the Russian delegation, which had been scheduled for this week in The Hague, the statement says. The US side said that it would work with the Russian partners to set a new date for the meeting.

The document also reaffirmed the US commitment to a comprehensive and lasting solution to the Syrian political crisis.

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