MOSCOW. Feb 15 (Interfax) - Moscow favors as equitable as possible participation of all Syrian opposition segments in the forthcoming talks to settle the Syria conflict under United Nations aegis, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said.
"The Russian side emphasizes that the intra-Syrian talks to be held in Geneva under the UN aegis on February 23 should be held strictly in accordance with the parameters outlined by UN Security Council Resolution 2254, which implies as inclusive and equal nature of various Syrian opposition segments as possible," Zakharova said at a news briefing in Moscow on Wednesday.
"Only on this condition can we count on making consistent progress toward settling the Syria crisis and reaching agreements that would reflect the interests of all strata of the Syrian nation," she said.
As for the talks between Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura ahead of the Geneva talks set for February 23, "there will be an exchange of views on the whole spectrum of issues regarding the settlement of the Syria crisis," Zakharova said.
"This includes the course of the Astana process, launched by Russia, Turkey and Iran, involving the Syrian parties, namely, the government and the armed opposition," the spokeswoman said.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov will also have separate consultations with de Mistura, she said.
Furthermore, after the talks on Syria, Lavrov will travel on to Bonn (Germany) to participate in a meeting of the G20 foreign ministers, Zakharova said.