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30Jan15

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Moscow consultations reflect growing sentiments inside Syria for search of peace

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Moscow's intra-Syrian consultations have reflected growing sentiments inside Syria in favor of more active and effective steps aimed to restore peace in Syria, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Friday in comments on consultations held by representatives of the Syrian government and opposition in Moscow.

"On January 29 an intra-Syrian meeting on the 'Moscow floor' ended," the ministry said. "A direct contact between representatives of the Syrian government and opposition has been the first since last February when the intra-Syrian talks were disrupted. [The meetings] were held at the invitation of the Russian Foreign Ministry and moderated by Russian academic strata headed by Vitaly Naumkin, chief of the Oriental Studies Institute at the Russian Academy of Sciences."

The negotiators have approved so-called "Moscow principles," which summarise both sides' principled approaches and are aimed at preserving Syria as a sovereign and territorially integral state where all population groups feel protected and comfortable, the ministry said.

Along with this, an appeal to the international community was drafted and then adopted at the talks.

"Representatives of the Syrian government and opposition expressed their wish to continue consultations in the 'Moscow floor' format," the Russian Foreign Ministry said. "Moscow will be ready to provide any possible assistance to intra-Syrian contacts further on."

"We believe the discussion reflects growing sentiments in various strata of Syria's society that are favouring more active and effective steps towards search for peace in Syria," the Russian Foreign Ministry said adding: "We are backing up these sentiments."

The ministry has noted that Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in his speech at a meeting with representatives of Syria's government and opposition "underlined our consecutive line aiming to assist in Syria's political settlement on the principles of the Geneva communique adopted on June 30, 2012 as well as adherence to and support of the efforts within the framework of the Geneva process."

[Source: Itar Tass, Moscow, 30Jan15]

Syria War

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