MOSCOW. Jan 13 (Interfax) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov urged National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces leader Ahmad Jarba to ensure the coalition's participation in the Geneva II international peace conference for Syria at a meeting in Paris.
"The leader of a leading Syrian opposition group was insistently urged to assume responsibility and ensure the participation of the National Coalition within a representative delegation of the opposition in the upcoming forum with the purpose of bringing an end to the armed confrontation, the unity of all Syrians in the uncompromising fight against terrorism and the coordination of a mutually acceptable framework for the transition to a peace settlement consistent with the aspirations of all citizens of the Syrian Arab Republic," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a report posted after the Paris meeting.
"The Russian side spelled out its principled stand targeting the soonest possible launch of an inter-Syrian dialogue through the convocation of the international conference on January 22, 2014, with the participation of delegations from the Syrian government and the opposition without preconditions," it said.