MOSCOW. Feb 3 (Interfax) - Russia insists on making the Syrian opposition delegation at the international conference in Geneva more representative by including members of internal Syrian opposition groups in it.
"The key external stakeholders should play a significant role in achieving a settlement in Syria. All of them should pursue a consolidated line, encouraging both the government and the opposition to find compromises in settling the existing problems," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Friday.
"In this context, it is important to make the opposition delegation more representative by including constructive-thinking figures from the internal Syrian opposition in it," the ministry said in commenting on the outcomes of the first round of the inter-Syrian negotiations in Geneva.
The document praises UN Envoy to Syria Lakhdar Brahimi's constructive mediating efforts.
"The Geneva communique of June 30, 2012 remains the only foundation of an inter-Syrian political process, the central idea of which is the preservation of the Syrian Arab Republic as a sovereign, independent, and territorially integrated state, in which the rights and security of all ethnic and religious groups will be guaranteed," it said.
A priority goal is the consolidation of efforts of all Syrians to eliminate the terrorist threat, which is seriously destabilizing the situation not only in the country but also in the region as a whole, as was agreed upon between the G8 leaders at the Loch Erne summit in June 2013, the ministry said.
"An agreement has been achieved on holding the second round of the Geneva negotiations on February 10. Their successful progress depends chiefly on the parties' determination to consider each other's concerns and willingness to achieve a mutually acceptable result," it said.
"The Russian Federation will provide as much assistance as it can to working out a formula of comprehensive political settlement based on the parties' mutual accord, in coordination with the UN and other international partners. We will continue to render assistance through international agencies and bilateral channels to improve the humanitarian condition of the Syrian population and refugees," it said.