Russia’s Foreign Ministry announced that a new round of intra-Syrian talks is likely to take place in Geneva next month.
Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov expressed Moscow’s readiness to participate in the deliberations on Syria in the Swiss city, during a press conference on Thursday.
Geneva has hosted two rounds of talks on the crisis in Syria. The first, held without the participation of the Syrian government or opposition, produced the Geneva Communiqué of June 30, 2012.
The second round of talks was a Western media spectacle, which glorified the opposition’s delegation.
Gatilov told reporters he will discuss with the UN Secretary General’s Deputy Special Envoy for Syria, Ramzy Ezzeldin Ramzy, the prospects of the Syrian-Syrian dialogue of which a new round is likely to be held in May.
The deputy foreign minister added that he would discuss with Ramzy the settlement in Syria and the prospects for resuming the intra-Syrian dialogue in a new round of talks.
Gatilov said he expects Ramzy to convey some tangible ideas from Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura on mechanisms to resume the political process.
The Russian noted that de Mistura has a plan, in which he suggests inviting representatives of the opposition and representatives of the main countries interested in the Syrian issue.
Those countries, he said, are the five permanent members of the Security Council along with other external players.
De Mistura, Gatilov noted, is determined to hold “in-depth consultations” with those countries to achieve a settlement in Syria.
