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Conflict in Syria

Washington has no objections to Turkish-Russian talks on Syria

"We’re not against any effort to coordinate more closely on the multiple conflicts taking place in Syria," a US Department of State spokesman said

WASHINGTON, December 28. /TASS/. The United States has no objections against Turkish-Russian talks on Syrian reconciliation, a US Department of State spokesman said.

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"We’re not against any effort to coordinate more closely on the multiple conflicts taking place in Syria," Mark Toner said.

"We talk frequently with the Turks. We talk frequently with the Russians. We’ve also long said that in order to reach some kind of resolution to the conflict in Syria, all the stakeholders need to agree and need to talk to each other. So the fact that Turkey and Russia are holding these kinds of talks is not necessarily something we would disapprove of," he continued.

The Russian Foreign Ministry earlier said that top diplomats of Russia and Turkey discussed preparations for the meeting of the Syrian government and the opposition in Astana, Kazakhstan. The US was not invited, Toner said.

The meeting is scheduled for late January. The reconciliation effort will then continue in Geneva, where UN Secretary General’s Special Envoy on Syria Staffan de Mistura plans to relaunch another round of negotiations.

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