Syrian figures edge toward new peace talks

The Syrian regime and several leading dissidents have agreed to move toward new peace talks mediated by Russia, sources on both sides told AFP.

The initial agreement came after separate delegations led by prominent opposition figure Ahmad Moaz al-Khatib and Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem visited Moscow in November.

Bouthaina Shaaban, government delegation member and adviser to President Bashar Assad, called meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov “very positive.”

“The Russians want to take the initiative for a real search for political solution through dialogue. They got the agreement from the government,” she said by phone from Damascus.

Speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, a source who accompanied the government delegation last week said: “There is no schedule yet. The Russians only wanted to know if the idea seems acceptable to us. We said we have no problem.”

The source added: “The Russians are trying. ... They have contact with several people. They told us that if we accept the idea they would like to start steps to prepare for dialogue in Moscow. We said that we don’t mind, that we have no problem.”