Russia expects intl conference on Syria after September

Moscow foresees the international conference on Syria could start after September only, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov said Monday.

“It would hardly happen in September, because there will be other events, for instance, the UN General Assembly’s ministerial week,”  he said. 

The Russian diplomat said his country did want to convene the conference as soon as possible.

“But we have to take into account the real circumstances which could affect that forum,” the diplomat said, who disclosed that Russia and US representatives would meet late August to discuss details of preparation for the conference.

Gatilov will take part in that meeting, which will be also attended by another Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov, US Under Secretary for Political Affairs Wendy Sherman and US Ambassador to Syria Robert Ford. They will discuss, among other issues, the composition of the Syrian delegation at the international conference.

“The (Syrian) opposition delegation which would reflect all spectrum of the opposition forces has not been formed yet,” Gatilov said.