The representative of the Russian President in the Middle East, Deputy Foreign Minister Michael Bogdanov, met with opposition leaders in Geneva on the 20 and 21 December, stressing the importance of finding a political solution to the crisis in Syria.
Bogdanov said the solution must be found through talks and without any preconditions.
Bogdanov met the head of the National Coordination Commission abroad, Haitham Manna, the head of the Kurdish Democratic Union, Saleh Muslim, the head of the General Commission of the Syrian Democratic Secular Coordination, Randa Qasis, and the head of the Democratic Platform, Samir Aita.
The Russian foreign ministry said the meeting was held “within the framework of exchanging ideas on developments on the situation in Syria, with talks focused on preparations for Geneva II” which is to be held on 22 January 2014.
The ministry said that Syrian negotiators “valued Russian efforts to apply the Geneva I statements from June 2012 in full".
Translated and edited by The Syrian Observer
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