Syria: Success of Russian initiative needs international consensus

The success of the Russian initiative for a political solution in Syria needs an international consensus, a senior Syrian official said Wednesday.

The remarks were made by Syrian Minister of National Reconciliation Ali Haidar as Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov arrived in Syria's capital Damascus for meetings with Syrian officials, mainly President Bashar al-Assad, over his country's efforts to hold a dialogue between the Syrian government and opposition parties in Moscow, Xinhua reported.

According to media reports, the proposed Moscow dialogue will include official Syrian delegates and opposition figures from inside and outside Syria, mainly the drifting former head of the exiled Syrian National Coalition, Muaz al-Khatib, who would lead the opposition delegation.

The dialogue in Moscow is being held to revive the efforts for a political solution following the faltering political efforts at the Geneva conference held earlier this year.

"Without doubt, the Russian initiative basically constitutes a vision whose details have yet to be finished, but it could be an introduction for launching a political solution," Haidar said. "We must say that the Russian initiative comes to preserve the heat and energy of the political landscape for a solution to the Syrian crisis."

Some Syria-based opposition parties have welcomed the Russian efforts to create an environment conducive to reaching a political solution to the country's crisis.