Moscow, Asharq Al-Awsat—Moscow is the only place where the Syrian opposition and the government of President Bashar Al-Assad can negotiate a political settlement for the Syrian conflict, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov toldAsharq Al-Awsat on Wednesday.
Members of various Syrian opposition factions gathered in the Russian capital on Monday in an attempt to find common ground ahead of their meeting with representatives of the Damascus government scheduled for January 29.
The majority of participants are members of Syria-based opposition groups tolerated by the government. The Syrian National Coalition, an umbrella organization of exiled opposition groups, rejected Russia’s invitation earlier this month on the grounds that it is a staunch backer of Assad.
Despite this setback, Bogdanov maintained that talks in Moscow represent the best chance for a negotiated solution to the crisis in Syria, which has seen millions of Syrians displaced and at least 200,000 killed since 2011, according to UN estimates.
“Moscow is the only place in the world that can bring together all opposition factions [including the Muslim Brotherhood] and the Syrian government,” Bogdanov said. Unlike the Friends of Syria group, which only invites the Western-backed coalition to its meetings, Russia has called on almost all opposition factions from across the spectrum, he maintained.