Russia invites Syrian opposition leaders for talks
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 2 January 2015 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Russia invites Syrian opposition leaders for talks, 2 January 2015, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/54be14064.html [accessed 1 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
January 02, 2015
Russia has invited Syrian opposition figures to Moscow for talks later this month aimed at setting up a meeting with officials from the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
As many as 28 leaders of the Syrian opposition have reportedly received such an invitation.
Among those invited was the head of the Syrian National Coalition, Hadi al-Bahra, as well as two former heads of the coalition, Moaz al-Khatib and Abdel Basset Sida.
The opposition coalition, which views Russia with suspicion as a key supporter of Assad's regime, said it would discuss the offer at its general assembly in Turkey on January 2.
Assad's government has said it's ready to attend "preliminary" talks, but says they should pave the way for a conference in Syria itself.
More than 200,000 people have been killed in Syria since the the civil war began in 2011.
Based on reporting by AFP, Press TV, and dailymail.co.uk
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
