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Conflict in Syria

Russian envoy, Syrian opposition leader discuss settlement in Syria

Russia's envoy and Syria's opposition leader have held a telephone talks

© AP Photo/Max Black

MOSCOW, August 30. /TASS/. Russian Special Presidential Representative for the Middle East and the African Countries and Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov has discussed settlement in Syria in a telephone conversation with Nasr al-Hariri, chief negotiator for the opposition Syrian Negotiations Commission, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

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"A number of issues related to the Syrian crisis settlement under Resolution 2254 of the UN Security Council were discussed during the conversation. The need to completely eradicate the terror groups IS and Jabhat al-Nusra (terror organizations, outlawed in Russia - TASS) was stressed, as well as the provision of unity, territorial integrity and sovereignty of Syria, the development of a stable negotiation process between the Syrian government and the constructive opposition in order to restore national accord, the establishment and launch of the Constitutional Committee under the decisions of the Congress of the Syrian National Dialogue and the creation of corresponding conditions for a speedy return of the Syrian refugees to their homeland."

The Syrian Negotiations Commission

The Syrian Negotiations Commission (SNC) is a Syrian opposition group that gained the highest recognition among the Western countries. It was established in November 2017 on the basis of the Riyadh, Cairo and Moscow opposition groups with participation of independent delegates and representatives for armed groups. Its leader al-Hariri regularly meets with government representatives from the UK, Germany, France and the US.

In January 2018 he visited Moscow as a member of the Syrian Negotiations Commission delegation, where he met with Chairman of the Russian Federation Council Committee for Foreign Affairs Konstantin Kosachyov and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. The Foreign Ministry noted the radical approach of some SNC members, as well as the trend toward dissolution in this organization as a result of conflicts between its radically-minded and moderate members.

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Foreign policy Syrian conflict

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