The Russian Foreign Ministry has announced a meeting between Mikhail Bogdanov, the Special Representative of the Russian President for the Middle East and Africa and Deputy Foreign Minister, and three representatives of social and political circles in Syria.
In a statement released on Monday, the Ministry detailed that Bogdanov met with Dr. Sami Al-Khaimi, Sawsan Zakzak, and Dr. Muhammad Habash, all members of the independent Syrian advisory group.
The talks involved an extensive exchange of views on the current situation in Syria and its neighboring regions. The discussions focused on the tasks related to a comprehensive settlement in Syria and the country’s reconstruction post-conflict.
This announcement coincided with claims by the pro-Syrian regime newspaper “Al-Watan,” which reported a meeting between the Russian President’s envoy to Syria, Alexander Lavrentiev, and the Syrian opposition in Turkey. According to the newspaper, Lavrentiev encouraged the opposition delegation to participate in the upcoming talks on the Constitutional Committee, expected to be held in Baghdad.
Opposition Denial
However, the Syrian opposition, represented by the National Coalition and the Negotiating Body, denied any such meeting with Putin’s envoy. A source from the Syrian Negotiating Body confirmed to Syria TV that no meeting occurred with the Russian envoy during his visit to Ankara.
The National Coalition also addressed these claims on their “X” platform account, stating: “The Syrian National Coalition denies the reports by Assad regime newspapers about a meeting between the revolutionary and opposition forces and the Russian envoy during his recent visit to Ankara.” They reaffirmed their commitment to implementing international resolutions and achieving justice, freedom, and democracy for the Syrian people.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
