26/11/2013 16:34
Russia insists on Iran's participation in Geneva-2 - Russian Deputy FM
Iran must take part in the Geneva-2 peace conference on Syria, but no such agreement has been reached thus far, said Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov, according to the Voice of Russia.
"Additional negotiations are to be held with the external players who will attend," Gatilov told reporters on Monday.
Russia thinks Iran's participation is necessary, but this prospect has yet to be discussed, he said.
According to Gatilov, not all the representatives from the Syrian opposition are ready to participate in the Geneva-2 peace conference.
"Certainty not yet," Gatilov told reporters when asked whether all Syrian opposition representatives were ready to participate in the conference.
A period prior to holding the Geneva-2 conference "is specifically needed so that the opposition comes with a united delegation," Gatilov said. "We support one delegation," the diplomat said.
Another trilateral Russia-US-UN meeting to prepare the peace conference is scheduled for late December, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister said.
"We have agreed that another trilateral meeting will be held in late December, during which we will continue to accord further all issues," Gatilov told reporters.
Russia is not withdrawing the invitation for Syrian opposition forces to come Moscow for talks, said the diplomat.
"Concerning the Moscow meeting, preparations are well underway and will continue. Our proposal remains on the table. We are ready to receive representatives of all opposition groups in Moscow in order to discuss all problems, including preparations for the Geneva II conference, in an free manner without any specific agenda" Gatilov said.
"This does not at all mean that it is a parallel track. It is a venue for bringing various opposition forces and representatives of the Syrian government together at one negotiating table, and to seeing how they can talk with each other," Gatilov added.