Moscow offers to host informal talks with Syrian rebels

Moscow is offering a platform for informal talks between the Syrian opposition and Lakhdar Brahimi, Special Envoy of the UN and Arab League, said Mikhail Bogdanov, Special Russian Presidential Envoy for the Middle East and Deputy Foreign Minister, RIA Novosti reports.

He added that Russia wanted to help establish contacts with the Syrian National Coalition, the main opposition force of the country.

Bogdanov had talks with Heisam Mnaa, head of the National Coordinating Committee for Democracy in Syria, Salih Muslim Muhammad, leader of the Democratic Union Party, Rifaat al-Assad, head of the National Democratic Alliance and ex-President of Syria, and Randa Kassis, President of the Coalition of Secular and Democratic Syrians and member of the Syrian National Council.

Preparations for the Geneva-2 Conference and fulfillment of the Geneva communiqué of June 30, 2012, were the main topics of the talks. Moscow wants to see the most representative delegations with as many Syrian socio-political, ethnical and religious groups presented as possible.