Reconcilliation Talks Between Syria, Opposition to Start January 27-29

Negotiations between the official Syrian government and opposition will be held in Moscow on January 27-29, 2015, Syria’s Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad said.

TOKYO, December 30 (Sputnik) — The first talks between the Syrian government and opposition organizations will take place in Moscow on January 27-29, 2015, Syria’s Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad said, in an interview with the Japanese news agency Kyodo.

The senior Syrian diplomat characterized the nature of the Moscow meeting as a preliminary consultation for talks expected to be held in Syria at a later date. "We are not going to have any substantive discussion about the developments in Syria [at Moscow talks]," Mekdad told Kyoto.

According to the news agency, Syrian anti-government organizations and the country’s official envoys will meet in Moscow on January 27. Talks between the Syrian government and opposition will take place on January 28-29.

Syria has been engulfed in an civil war since March, 2011, with the country’s government fighting various insurgent groups, including the Islamic State Sunni jihadists.

In recent months Russia has taken an active part in beginning a process of reconciliation in Syria. In October, Russian foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov suggested that all the neighboring countries should have their say in the Syrian peace talks. Later Moscow proposed to host a meeting between the country’s government and its opposition.

Last Thursday, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced that Syrian reconciliation talks will take place late in January 2015.