Following the talks with representatives of several Syrian opposition parties and movements, Borodavkin told RIA Novosti that “the meeting has shown that moderate opposition forces in Syria are preparing for the Moscow events and are interested in their success.”
He added that Syrian opposition representatives are putting forward suggestions and ideas “regarding both the agenda of this event and organizational aspects of the meeting.”
“In addition, the international community expects Damascus to join forces with its opponents to battle terrorist groups on Syrian territory, especially in light of the recent bloody terrorist attacks in Paris,” he noted.
In early December 2014, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov said that Russia is ready to organize a meeting between the opposing parties in the Syrian conflict.
Syria's government officially confirmed its readiness to participate in the meeting on December 27. The talks will also be attended by UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura.
The two previous meetings between Syria's warring parties were held in Geneva in 2012 and early 2014. However, the sides failed to reach an agreement to stop the fighting.
A civil war has been raging in Syria since 2011, when anti-government protests turned into an armed uprising. The Syrian army is battling numerous insurgent groups, including the Islamic State. According to the UN estimates, some 200,000 people have been killed in the conflict, while millions have been forced to flee their homes.
