Syrian FM Invites UN Envoy to Intra-Syrian Consultations in Moscow

(FNA)- Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem sent an invitation to UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura to take part in the intra-Syrian consultations in Moscow, Syrian Ambassador to Russia Riyad Haddad said Tuesday.

"Muallem sent de Mistura an invitation to participate in the consultations," Haddad told RIA Novosti.

In early July, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov said Moscow was ready to host the third round of intra-Syrian talks.

The ambassador added that the date of the meeting is yet to be determined.

On January 26-29, Moscow hosted the first round of talks between the representatives of the Syrian government and a number of opposition groups.

Syria has been in turmoil since 2011. The conflict has recently been exacerbated by the rapid rise of the terrorist groups in the region, with the ISIL group claiming large swaths of land in the country in summer 2014.