Syria team to Moscow Monday to prepare for talks: govt

The Syrian government will send a delegation to Moscow on Monday for talks with Russian officials on preparations for a proposed peace conference in Geneva, an official said.
The source today said the delegation would be made up of President Bashar al-Assad's presidential adviser Buthaina Shaaban, Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Muqdad and Ahmad Arnous, the ministry's senior official on European affairs.
"The delegation will meet Russian officials to finalise the details of the peace conference due to be held in Geneva," the official said.
Syrian government daily Al-Watan today said that the Geneva talks would be held on December 12.

However, an adviser to the president of the opposition National Coalition has said a date for the talks dubbed Geneva II had not been finalised.