Syria ‘ready’ to discuss Russia peace plan talks, opposition express caution

Syrian government official says Bashar al-Assad’s regime is willing to restart Russia peace talks with opposition.

Syria is ready to participate in “preliminary consultations” with the country’s opposition in an effort to restart talks to end its nearly four-year civil war, a government official said.

Two rounds of peace talks this year in Geneva failed to halt the conflict which has killed 200,000 people during more than three years of violence.

"Syria is ready to participate in a preliminary and consultative meeting in Moscow to respond to the aspirations of Syrians who are trying to find a solution to the crisis," the Foreign Ministry official said on Saturday, quoted by SANA state news agency.

"The Syrian Arab Republic has always been ready for dialogue with those who believe in its unity, sovereignty and freedom of choice," the official said.

Russia has been trying to relaunch peace talks for Syria that would include meetings between delegates of the regime and the fractured opposition.

But there are many obstacles to peace. The Western-backed Syrian opposition has insisted that any negotiated settlement include the formation of a transitional governing body with full executive powers, a demand rejected by President Bashar al-Assad's government.

Moreover, the opposition is also suspicious of Russian-led plans as Moscow has long backed President Bashar al-Assad with weapons.

Hadi al-Hahra, head of the Turkey-based Syrian National Coalition, the main opposition bloc, said it had not yet made a decision on the talks.

"We can't give a response to something that's still hanging in the air," Bahra said. "There are no invitations, and what are they inviting us to? Is there a negotiations framework? Who will come? What is the aim?"

The most powerful insurgent group, the Islamic State, controls a third of Syria but has not been part of any initiative to end the fighting.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said this month that he wanted Syrian opposition groups to agree among themselves on a common approach before setting up direct talks with the Damascus government.

But Lavrov did not specify which opposition groups should take part.

Syria's war began as a pro-democracy revolt, but escalated into a multi-sided civil war drawing foreign fighters after Assad's regime began a massive crackdown on dissent.

An estimated 200,000 people have been killed, and half the population have been forced to flee their homes.