Russia for Talks with Syria with Real Actors on the Ground

Moscow, Jan 17 (Prensa Latina) Russia expressed itself today for the participation in the meeting on the Syrian conflict in Astana of real opposition actors in the field, with real control of territories, and Government representatives.

The problem with earlier talks to seek a peaceful solution in Syria was that the West was inviting political groups without direct control of the facts on the ground, stated Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov.

Almost all those political representatives invited to previous editions live outside the Levantine country and therefore lacked the representatives of the armed opposition groups, commented the Foreign Relations minister.

That is why, he said, Russia and Turkey raised the need for dialogue with those who are dealing with the weapons in hand.

After reaching that agreement, set at the end of last December, I believe we have achieved a step forward, declared the Russian diplomat.

To the Kazakh capital we go after an agreement was reached between armed formations and the Syrian government last December 30 for a general truce, he clarified.

However, in Astana, can be also analyzed the possibility of giving opposition camp commanders the right to participate in the country's political life once peace is established, considered the Russian minister in his annual press conference.

Lavrov invited to participate representatives of the new administration of President-elect Donald Trump, who will take on the White House this Friday, to attend talks in the Kazakh capital, along with the United Nations.

We hope that to the agreement to put end to hostilities of December 30 will be joined other armed groups, agreed under the auspices of Russia and Turkey, as well as the approval of Iran.

During other negotiation attempts, it was turned to the Opposition Supreme Council of Syria, who took a capricious position and demanded the removal of Bashar Al Assad from power as a condition to participate in the process, underlined Lavrov.

Such caprices created a situation without solution, although that the West supported position at a sidelong glance, he expressed.

We hope that the requirements of the December 30 agreement on the end of fighting, the meeting in Astana and the beginning of a political process, contained in UN Security Council resolution 2336, will be fulfilled, emphasized the diplomat.