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Conflict in Syria

Damascus is ready to resume inter-Syrian talks — ambassador

The previous round of the inter-Syrian talks was held in April

© AP Photo/Hassan Ammar

MOSCOW, July 21. /TASS/. Damascus is ready to resume the inter-Syrian talks in Geneva, Syria’s ambassador to Russia Riyad Haddad said.

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He added that so far the office of UN Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura has not announced a possible date for the resumption of talks.

"Preparations are under way. So far we don’t know when it will happen. But Damascus is ready. The Syrian delegation is ready. Once they announce the resumption we will immediately go to Geneva," the ambassador said.

The previous round of the inter-Syrian talks was held in April. The Syrian opposition's High Negotiations Committee suspended participation in the inter-Syrian talks. HNC cited three conditions that could return it to the negotiating table - humanitarian aid deliveries to hard-of-access areas, release of detainees and well as Syrian government’s compliance with a ceasefire.

Palmyra liberation was important in combating terrorists

The ambassador went on to say that the liberation of Syria’s ancient city of Palmyra with support of the Russian Aerospace Forces undermined the terrorists’ military potential, boosted the morale of the Syrian troops and overturned the Western propaganda statements that Moscow and Damascus are fighting not against extremists, but against the moderate opposition.

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Putin says concert in Palmyra is sign of remembrance for victims of terror

"The liberation of Palmyra was of key importance not only for boosting the morale of the soldiers of the Syrian army, but also did not allow the terrorists to regroup and redeploy their forces to the southern and northern regions, limited their defensive capabilities after the loss of control over the region rich in natural resources, deprived them of the ability to buy weapons and equipment", he said.

Another important point, according to the diplomat, is that "this victory has overturned the western propaganda that insisted that the Syrian leadership and Russia’s Aerospace Forces are allegedly making strikes only on the moderate opposition and not on the Islamic State terrorist group (outlawed in Russia)".

The Islamic State terrorist group seized Palmyra, a UNESCO world heritage site, early in the summer of 2015. The Syrian authorities warned at that time that the unique historical complex could repeat the sad fate of the ancient Iraqi cities of Ashur and Nimrud, which had been fully ruined and eliminated by insurgents.

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