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Russia invites US to Syria talks in Astana – Lavrov Russia invites US to Syria talks in Astana – Lavrov
(35 minutes later)
Russia has already invited the United States to take part in the upcoming talks on Syria, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told the press.Russia has already invited the United States to take part in the upcoming talks on Syria, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told the press.
"As I said yesterday, we have already invited [the US]," Lavrov told journalists in Moscow on Thursday."As I said yesterday, we have already invited [the US]," Lavrov told journalists in Moscow on Thursday.
US officials have been invited to the international meeting on the Syrian settlement which will be held in Kazakh capital Astana on Monday, January 23.US officials have been invited to the international meeting on the Syrian settlement which will be held in Kazakh capital Astana on Monday, January 23.
“We think it would be the right thing to invite the representatives of the UN and the new US administration to the meeting,” Lavrov had said on Wednesday, at a press conference summing up the results of Russian foreign policy in 2016.“We think it would be the right thing to invite the representatives of the UN and the new US administration to the meeting,” Lavrov had said on Wednesday, at a press conference summing up the results of Russian foreign policy in 2016.
Thursday's announcement comes despite recent statements by Iran, which strongly objects to US participation at the Syria talks.
“We are opposed to a US presence [in Astana]. We have not invited them [US], and we are against their presence,” Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif was earlier quoted as saying by the Tasnim news agency.
Russia, however, hopes that the incoming Trump administration will accept the invitation.
“We’re counting on the new [US] administration accepting this invitation and being represented by experts on any level they consider possible. It will be the first official contact during which we could begin discussing stepping up the efficiency of fighting terrorism in Syria,” Lavrov said on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Syrian President Bashar Assad has said the peace talks in Astana will focus on achieving a ceasefire and allowing rebel groups to reach “reconciliation” deals with the government.
“So far, we believe that Astana will be about talks with terrorist groups over a ceasefire and allowing them to reach reconciliation deals,” Assad said in an interview with Japanese media outlet TBS, parts of which were published on the president’s Twitter feed on Thursday.
The Syrian leader also expressed hope that the incoming US administration was sincere when it announced the intention to create a unified coalition against terrorism.
Assad said he hoped the conference in Astana would be a platform to discuss “everything” with opposition groups, but noted it was too early to say whether the meeting would include political dialogue “because it is not clear who will participate."Assad said he hoped the conference in Astana would be a platform to discuss “everything” with opposition groups, but noted it was too early to say whether the meeting would include political dialogue “because it is not clear who will participate."
A number of Syrian rebel groups confirmed that they will attend the peace talks in Astana. A leader of Jaysh al-Islam, Mohammed Alloush, said he would head the rebel delegation and work to end the “crimes” of the government and its allies. Russia’s own delegation to the talks in Astana will include representatives of the Foreign Ministry and the Defense Ministry, Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov revealed on Thursday. He also noted that Russia supports the possible expansion of the Syrian opposition delegation to the negotiations opposition delegation to the negotiations, which currently represents 14 militant groups. 
“All the rebel groups are going. Everyone has agreed,” Alloush told AFP news agency on Monday. The High Negotiations Committee, Syria's main opposition bloc, last week also stated that it would support the delegation attending the talks.However, the pro-opposition Shaam News Network reported earlier this week that a number of other rebel groups, including Ahrar al-Sham, one of the main fighting forces on the ground, plan to boycott the talks over the army’s offensive on the rebel-held village of Wadi Barada. “The total number of groups that are represented by their leaders is only 14. This means that 14 groups have joined the ceasefire agreement, but we advocate for more to join,” Bogdanov said, as cited by RIA Novosti.
A number of Syrian rebel groups indeed confirmed that they will attend the peace talks in Astana. A leader of Jaysh al-Islam, Mohammed Alloush, said he would head the rebel delegation and work to end the “crimes” of the government and its allies.
“All the rebel groups are going. Everyone has agreed,” Alloush told AFP news agency on Monday. The High Negotiations Committee, Syria's main opposition bloc, last week also stated that it would support the delegation attending the talks.
However, the pro-opposition Shaam News Network reported earlier this week that several other rebel groups, including Ahrar al-Sham, one of the main fighting forces on the ground, plan to boycott the talks over the army’s offensive on the village of Wadi Barada.