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Middle East and North Africa

RF diplomat met with Syrian opposition over political settlement, ministry says

Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov met in Geneva on December 20-21 with leaders of the Syrian opposition

MOSCOW, December 22, (TAR-TASS). Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov met in Geneva on December 20-21 with leaders of the Syrian opposition to discuss a need for an early political settlement of the crisis in Syria through a broad dialogue without preconditions, the Foreign Ministry reported.

In particular, Russian president’s Middle East envoy Mikhail Bogdanov met with Haytham Manaa, a member of Syria’s National Coordination Committee for Democratic Changes, Saleh Muslim - head of the Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party, Randa Kassis - co-chairperson of the Coalition of Secular and Democratic Syrians, and Samir Aita from the Democratic Platform.

“Within the framework of an extensive exchange of opinions on the developments in Syria and around it, the main emphasis was put on preparations for the Geneva 2 international conference scheduled for January 22, 2014, in accordance with the Russian-American initiative of May 7, 2013,” the ministry informed. It said the emphasis had been put on an urgent need for an early political settlement in the country through a broad inter-Syrian dialogue without preconditions.

“The Syrian interlocutors gave high marks to Russia’s consistent efforts towards a full implementation of the Geneva communique of June 30, 2012,” the ministry said.

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Middle East and North Africa

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