MOSCOW
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his Syrian counterpart Walid Muallem have discussed setting the conditions for a dialogue between the opposition and the government during the upcoming Geneva II peace conference, scheduled to start on January 22.
Speaking at a press conferenceon Friday, Lavrov said he and Muallem agreed that the conflict in Syria must come to an end, while also guaranteeing the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country.
Lavrov said that Russia is ready to take the necessary steps to provide aid, but that the opposition must gurantee its safe delivery.
The Syrian delegation will attend the conference with instructions from embattled President Bashar al-Assad.
‘’We are confident that dialogue is the only solution to the crisis in this country,’’ Muallem said, emphasizing that negotiations will move Syria to a better future.
More than 100,000 people have died and two million people have been displaced since the civil war began in 2011.
englishnews@aa.com.tr
