US Playing No Role in Upcoming Geneva-3 Meeting in Moscow

(FNA)- Syrian Minister of State for National Reconciliation Ali Haidar underlined that Washington will play no role in the upcoming talks between the Damascus government and the Syrian opposition to be held in Moscow in the near future.

"The US is one of the countries that will not approve of the Geneva-3 conference; hence, Russia's (peace) plan will be discussed in Moscow in the absence of the US," Haidar said.

The Syrian minister reiterated that the US will have no role in the upcoming talks, and said, "What is important is that Washington will not disrupt the implementation of the (Russian peace) plan."

In January, the last of round of talks between representatives of the Syrian government and the Arab country's opposition was held in Geneva.

Russia is pressing a bid to restart a peace process for Syria that would include meetings between government officials and members of the opposition.

Earlier today, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov said that the idea of holding intra-Syrian contacts in Moscow at the end of January 2015 remains on the agenda and Russia hopes it will be implemented.

"We have put forward the idea. It is on the table. We are working with opposition groups in Syria. It is to be hoped the idea will be implemented soon,” Gatilov said on Tuesday.

He added that the United Nations Envoy to Syria Staffan de Mistura would go ahead with his efforts in this regard.

“We support what he (de Mistura) has been doing; his efforts and his idea of ‘local truces' and it may be a good starting point for the beginning of the process of stabilization in the country and for launching the negotiations,” Gatilov said.