Qatar and Russia agree on Syria peace plans

Qatar and Russia have discussed what is needed to catalyse peace talks between the Syrian opposition and President Bashar al-Assad's government, according to the Russian foreign minister.

Addressing journalists in Moscow on Friday alongside the Qatari foreign minister, Khalid al-Attiyah, Sergey Lavrov said: "We discussed in detail what's necessary to be done to implement the agreements on the Syrian settlement".

Lavrov did not provide any further details.

Last week, the UN Security Council gave its unanimous support to a plan to end the Syrian conflict by summoning rebels and the regime to the negotiating table.

With crucial backing from the US and Russia, the plan aims to install a ceasefire in Syria, possibly in January, when talks in Geneva, Switzerland, could also begin.

• Unlike Russia, however, Qatar has said that Assad should step down immediately for peace to prevail.

Speaking to reporters after the talks, al-Attiyah accused Assad of supporting terrorist groups while Lavrov insisted that "it's up to the Syrian people" to decide Assad's future.

Al-Attiyah added that any further delays to efforts aimed at resolving the Syrian conflict would harm all of the players involved and worsen the humanitarian situation.

"We agreed with Russia that the worsening of this crisis will not benefit either party," he said.

"We are aware that delays in finding a solution to the crisis is harmful to all parties, first of all the Syrian people."

Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem said on Thursday that his government is ready to participate in the Geneva dialogue aimed at ending the civil war.

"Our delegation will be ready as soon as we receive a list of the opposition delegation," he said...
  aljazeera.com
25/12/15
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