MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Russia and Qatar hope the intra-Syrian talks to resolve the ongoing civil war will kick off in January, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Monday.
"Qatar and Russia hope that, in accordance with existing agreements, in accordance with the UN Security Council resolution, the talks between the Syrian government and the opposition will begin in the near future, this month," Lavrov told reporters following talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Emir of Qatar Tamim bin Hamad Thani in Moscow.
Lavrov added that Putin and Thani reiterated their commitment to Vienna agreements, stipulating that the Syrian people had the right to choose their government.
Syria has been locked in an armed conflict since 2011. The government of President Bashar Assad is fighting against several international Islamist groups, as well as a number of opposition forces.
In late December 2015, the press service of UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura said in a statement that the target date for intra-Syrian negotiations was January 25.
