WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The White House confirmed earlier on Friday that the US government would send up to 50 advisors into Syria to advise and assist in the fight against the Islamic State.
“Obviously, there will be a time and a place when the opposition groups will be represented [during talks] and probably the Assad regime as well,” Kirby said. “We are just not there yet.”
Earlier on Friday, 19 participants of the international talks on the Syrian crisis in Vienna – including the United States, Russia and Iran — agreed to work to guarantee Syria’s integrity and sovereignty under a secular government.
The negotiators on the settlement of the Syrian conflict have also discussed ceasefire terms without setting specific dates, according to the Russian Foreign Ministry.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Friday that Russia does not insist on Assad staying in power as his political future must be decided by the Syrian people. Lavrov made the statement in a joint news conference with US State Secretary John Kerry and UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura following the talks in Vienna.
Kirby underscored that