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Conflict in Syria

Russian, US, Saudi lists of opposition eligible for talks with Damascus partially coincide

Russia’s stance on the Syrian settlement remains unchanged

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova Artyom Korotayev/TASS

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova

© Artyom Korotayev/TASS

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MOSCOW, November 3. /TASS/. Russia’s, the United States’ and Saudi Arabia’s lists of Syrian opposition representatives who could be invited for talks with Damascus partially coincide, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Tuesday.

"We have prepared our vision," she told the Ekho Moskvy radio station. "It is not based on political speculation or political preferences. We have been working with these organizations, both in Moscow and in European capitals and in the Middle East, for four years."

"The lists partially coincide," she said, adding that the United States and Saudi Arabia had added some other organizations to their lists.

At a meeting of Russia, US, Saudi and Turkish foreign ministers in Vienna on October 29, the Russian side handed over to the partners a list of 38 representatives of Syrian opposition who could be invited for talks with the current Syrian authorities.

Russian stance on Syria remains unchanged

Zakharova also said Russia’s stance on the Syrian settlement remains unchanged.

"Fresh attempts have been made by Western media to present things in a way that Russia allegedly changed its stance on the future of Syrian (President Bashar al-Assad)," Zakharova said.

Read also

Russian Foreign Ministry: Regime change in Syria to become global-scale disaster

"I can confirm that the Russian stance on the Syrian settlement remains unchanged," she added.

According to Zakharova, Moscow has never said whether it supports or does not support President al-Assad. "The Russian side has pursued a clear line that the Syrian people should decide the future of the president of a sovereign Syria," the Russian diplomat said.

"It is fundamentally important for us to preserve the Syrian statehood. All these basic principles have remained unchanged. They are fixed in the Geneva communique; the United Nations Security Council documents and the Vienna statement of the Contact Group for Syria adopted on October 30.

"We are going to curb any attempts by Western media to distort the Russian approach to the Syrian settlement by juggling with quotations," the Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson said.

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Foreign policy Syrian conflict

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