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Lavrov: Fight against extremism in Mideast to depend on Geneva II

“The state of affairs in the Middle East and North Africa will in many respects depend on stabilization of the situation in the Syrian Arab Republic”

MOSCOW, November 27. /ITAR-TASS/. The fight against extremism in the Middle East region will depend on success of the international conference on Syria called Geneva II, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday.

“The state of affairs in the Middle East and North Africa will in many respects depend on stabilization of the situation in the Syrian Arab Republic,” he said. “In many respects success of unifying all sound forces in the fight against international terrorism that tries to sprout in the region, taking advantage of Syria’s crisis, will also depend on this” he said.

“It is in our common interest to implement the Russian-US initiative to convene Geneva II in such a way as to make the Syrian sides to approach this vital event being fully aware of their responsibility for their people, for the future of their country and for stability of the whole region,” Lavrov said.

All Syrian opposition groups ready to come to Moscow

All groups of Syria’s opposition Russia has had talks with express their intention to arrive in Moscow ahead of the Geneva II international conference on Syria, Sergei Lavrov told Itar-Tass.

“We are discussing the meeting dates,” he said. “All those groups we have had talks with express their intention to come to Moscow.”

“Taking into account the date for the Geneva II conference (January 22), we still have some time to finalize dates for the Syrian opposition’s meeting in Moscow,” Lavrov said.