MOSCOW, November 17. /TASS/. The bill on sanctions against Syria and its allies, passed by the US House of Representatives is rather strange, Russia's Special Presidential Envoy to the Middle East and African Countries, Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov said.

"This is all very strange," he told reporters. "Since the first Geneva Communique we have been stressing that representatives of the Syrian government as well as opposition members and all the groups of the civil society should take part in the talks. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is the country’s legitimate leader, his government is also legitimate according to international documents agreed on with the US, Turkey, Arab countries, five permanent member states of the UN Security Council, as well as other legitimate participants of the negotiation process on a political solution to the conflict."

On November 15, the US House of Representatives passed by voice vote a measure imposing new sanctions on anyone who provides the Syrian government with financial, material or technological support, including Russia and Iran. The bill will now be reviewed by the Senate.