MOSCOW,(ST)_ The Russian President’s Special Representative for the Middle East and Africa, Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov has discussed with Syria’s Ambassador to Moscow Dr. Riyad Haddad the latest development in Syria and region.
The Bogdanov-Haddad meeting, which was held today, also tackled prospects of political solution to the crisis in Syria, according to a statement released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation.
Bogdanov reiterated his country’s firm stance towards the inadmissibility of intervention in Syria’s affairs and its support for a board inter-Syrian dialogue in order to reach national accord without preconditions.
In this context, the ITAR TASS quoted the Russian Foreign Ministry as saying: ” Russia confirmed the proposal to the Syrian government and the opposition for holding contacts in Moscow as the step towards stepping up the political settlement in Syria.”
“The parties provided support for the peacemaking efforts by UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura, including an idea on the so-called ‘local freeze’,” the ministry said.
On November 26, the Russian president met the Syrian Foreign and Expatriates Minister Walid al-Moallem in the Russian city of Sochi.
“The talks dealt with Russian-Syrian ties,” according to the Kremlin statement.
Following the meeting, al-Moallem declared that President Putin stressed Russia’s determination to cooperate with Syria and with President Bashar al-Assad in order to defeat terrorism and deepen the strategic partnership between the two states.
Basma Qaddour