MOSCOW, January 28. /TASS/. In the run-up to the Syrian settlement negotiations in Geneva, Switzerland, Moscow calls for taking into account the interests of various Syrian political forces, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Thursday after a meeting of Russian presidential special envoy for the Middle East and Africa, Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov with a delegation of representatives of Syria’s social and political forces.

"The parties had an interested exchange of views on the situation in Syria and around it with the emphasis on finding as soon as possible a political solution to the Syrian crisis based on the development of the maximally broad inter-Syrian dialogue," the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

"In the run-up to the negotiations in Geneva between representatives of the Syrian government and the opposition the need to take into account the interests of various Syrian political forces in a long-term settlement in Syria was specially emphasized", the ministry said.

The last round of talks on Syria in the "Vienna format" was held in the Austrian capital on November 14. Its participants were representatives of delegations from 19 countries, including Russia, United States, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Iraq, Italy, Egypt, United Kingdom, Germany, Lebanon, Qatar, Iran, France, China, United Arab Emirates, Jordan and Oman, along with EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura and representatives of the League of Arab States.

On 18 December 2015, the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 2254 in support of the Vienna agreements on the peaceful settlement of the conflict in Syria that envisages participation of the Syrian opposition and representatives of the government in the talks that are due to start in January 2016. The final goals of negotiations are defined as establishing the transitional government, adopting a constitution and holding election in the next 18 months.

The document does not mention Syrian President Bashar Assad whose future remains the main stumbling block. The resolution states that the Syrian people should decide the future of the country.