Saudi FM in Moscow for Syria-Focused Talks
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Russia is hosting the Saudi foreign minister for Syria-focused talks, part of a new Moscow effort to mediate the conflict.
"Consider our talks fruitful. What started in Doha last week will be continued," Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told reporters after a meeting with his Saudi counterpart Adel Al-Jubeir in Moscow on Tuesday.
"We have a common approach to Geneva principles on the Syrian crisis, althought disagreements on some points are present," he added.
The talks between the two ministers follow their recent meeting in Doha that also involved US Secretary of State John Kerry.
The ministers will continue "a discussion on ways to resolve the crisis in Syria," the Russian foreign ministry had earlier noted, as reported by AFP.
Moscow said topics would include the "sharp growth in strength of various extremist groups", primarily ISIL.
It said they would discuss Russia's proposal to create a "broad international coalition to fight ISIL gunmen inside Syria."
Syria has been gripped by civil war since March 2011 with ISIL Takfiri terrorists currently controlling parts of it, mostly in the east.
In the past four years, more than 200,000 people have died in Syria -overwhelmingly civilians– and around 4 million Syrian people are now refugees in other countries. Another 7.6 million are displaced inside Syria.