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Russia prepared for contacts with Syrian opposition offices in US - Churkin

Russia will strongly oppose their attempts to send delegates to the United Nations, Russia’s UN envoy Vitally Churkin said

UNITED NATIONS, February 9 (Itar-Tass) – Russia is prepared for contacts with offices of the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces in the United States, but it will strongly oppose their attempts to send delegates to the United Nations, Russia’s UN envoy Vitally Churkin said in the wake of reports NCSROF offices would open in New York and Washington soon.

“There should be no chance they might use their proximity to the United Nations for scoring any political points from the standpoint of their international status,” Churkin said. “Should there be such attempts, we are going to resist them.”

Russia is prepared for a dialogue with the Opposition with the aim to encourage it to negotiate with the Syrian government. At the same time Churkin warned that any unilateral actions by the Syrian Opposition might harm “serious work to establish a political process” in Syria.

Earlier this week the news arrived the NCSROF had received the US authorities’ consent to opening its offices in the center of Washington and close to the UN headquarters in New York. One is to be led by real state trader from Texas Ubab Halil, and the other, by Dr. Najib Ghadban, a professor at the University of Arkansas, a specialist on Middle East affairs. Both are of Syrian origin.

As ITAR-TASS has found out, the Syrian Opposition’s offices would not have a diplomatic status, and their staff, the respective immunity. In fact, they will be NCSROF liaison offices for contacts with the a US Administration and the international community.

Najib Ghadban makes no secret of the NCSROF offices’ tasks. On Wednesday he told the French News agency France Presse the Opposition was determined to gain a firm foothold at the United Nations on a long-term basis. At the same time he agreed that prolonged legal and political battles would have to be fought before that.

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