Kerry, Lavrov discuss ceasefire in Syria

US diplomat John Kerry meets his Russian counterpart on Monday after trying to entice Syrian rebels into Geneva peace talks by vowing to exclude the Moscow-backed Damascus regime from any future transition government.

Kerry said he was “confident” the opposition would attend the upcoming talks in Switzerland, speaking after a meeting in Paris on Sunday of the “Friends of Syria” group of mainly Western and Gulf countries opposed to Syrian President Bashar Assad.

The US Secretary of State met national coalition leader Ahmad Jarba, whose grouping includes the main opposition movement in exile, and was due to hold further talks with him on Monday.

“I am confident that he and others will be in Geneva. I am counting on both parties to come together”, he said.