Russia, Saudi to help Syria’s Assad renew dialogue with opposition: WSJ

PanARMENIAN.Net - Russia’s Foreign Minister said Tuesday, August 11, Moscow and Riyadh agreed on steps to help the Syrian government renew dialogue with all Syrian opposition groups about the future of the war-torn country, the Wall Street Journal reports.

“We agreed to continue practical steps, which are aimed at preparing the optimal conditions for a renewal of dialogue between the [Syrian] government and all the Syrian opposition,” Sergei Lavrov said at a news conference after talks with his Saudi counterpart Adel al-Jubeir, according to the Journal.

Russia, which has defended Syrian President Bashar al-Assad from international intervention against his government, and Saudi Arabia, which calls for his ouster, have boosted ties in recent months with the aim of fighting Islamic State, which has taken over large swaths of land in Syria and Iraq.

Al-Jubeir said he had discussed with Lavrov security measures to fight Islamic State.

“We emphasized that the position of the King of Saudi Arabia hasn’t changed,” said al-Jubeir.

Syrian opposition members say that Russia has started sounding out alternatives to Assad in talks as his government’s forces lose ground against Islamic State militants.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov was quoted by Interfax as saying earlier in the day that a range of Syrian opposition groups will be invited to Moscow this week and next for talks.

Russia says its support for Assad is unchanged.

Meanwhile, Reuters reports that Russia and Saudi Arabia failed in talks to overcome their differences.

"A key reason behind the emergence of Islamic State was the actions of Assad who directed his arms at his nation, not Islamic State," Jubeir was quoted as saying. “Assad is part of the problem, not part of the solution to the Syrian crisis... There is no place for Assad in the future of Syria.”