United Arab Emirates, Russia Want to Organize International Conference on Syria
The Kremlin has established contacts with the Syrian group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham
United Arab Emirates Foreign Minister Abdallah bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Russian diplomatic chief Sergei Lavrov (pictured) advocated convening as soon as possible “a broad international meeting to launch an inclusive dialogue with the participation of all Syrian political forces.”
The Russian Foreign Ministry said after the telephone conversation between the two ministers that Russia and the Emirates are in favor of a dialog that should be launched in strict accordance with the principles established in UN Security Council Resolution No. 2254: “The ministers agree that Geir Pedersen, special representative of the UN secretary-general, should propose such a meeting in the nearest future,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. The ministry added that Russia “is also conducting relevant work with the heads of foreign ministries of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and other Arab countries.”
Meanwhile, the Kremlin said it has established contacts with the Syrian group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham. According to Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov, “contacts have been established with the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham political committee, which is now working in a hotel in Damascus.” There they are meeting with representatives of the diplomatic corps and representatives of our embassy to discuss issues primarily to ensure the safety of our diplomatic mission and the Russian citizens who are on the territory of Syria,” Bogdanov said during a briefing with the media in Moscow.
