Syrian opposition interested in contacts with Moscow - Russian Deputy FM Gatilov
GENEVA. May 19 (Interfax) - The Syrian opposition High Negotiations Committee (HNC) is willing to continue contacts with the Russian side, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov said.
"I cannot say that the HNC delegation accepts all of our arguments, but there is a willingness to continue contacts with us, maintain relations. It [this willingness] does exist. Therefore, we will painstakingly and persistently continue trying to persuade the HNC delegation to be politically realistic and become actively involved in the discussions proposed by [United Nations Special Envoy for Syria Staffan] de Mistura," Gatilov told reporters in Geneva.
During the meeting with the HNC, "we discussed the situation at this round of talks and tried to persuade them to take a constructive stance and not to fixate themselves solely on the problem of a transitional body and the need for [Syrian President Bashar] al-Assad to leave power," he said.
"The impression is that the HNC delegation froze on this position, so to speak, and does not see the changes that are actually happening now around the Syrian settlement process," the deputy foreign minister said.
"We tried to clarify to them the essence of the Astana process and the achievements that were reached thanks to the Russian Federation's efforts in the first place, namely the signing of the memorandum on de-escalation and the establishment of the relevant areas," Gatilov said.