Moscow, SANA – The Russian Interfax news agency quoted a Russian diplomatic source as saying that representatives of the opposition in Syria might hold talks between January 26th and 29th in Moscow, but that there is no set date for these talks.
The Russian diplomat, whose identity was not revealed, said that talking about how the talks will shape up is still premature.
The agency said that the Special Representative of the Russian President for Middle East and Africa Affairs, Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov, said in an interview earlier that Moscow hopes that the talks will lead to communications between the official representatives of Syria and the opposition.
Bogdanov had said that Russia’s suggestion is to have 20 or 25 people who represent the opposition from inside Syria and abroad meet and discuss the situation and ideas they might have in common, at which point Russia would ask for representatives of the Syrian government to attend so that every side can pose their evaluation of the situation.
He also noted that the opposition will not be represented at the Moscow meeting by any organization, but rather by well-known figures who are capable of generating ideas that lead to a political solution for the crisis in Syria, adding that the talks between the opposition figures and their potential meetings with representatives of the government are not of an official nature.
Hazem Sabbagh