Syria Ready To Discuss Russia Peace Plan Talks, Opposition Dismissive
Source: REUTERS
By Oliver Holmes and Omar Fahmy
BEIRUT/CAIRO Sat Dec 27, 2014 12:15pm EST
(Reuters) - Syria said on Saturday it was willing to participate in "preliminary consultations" in Moscow aimed at restarting talks next year to end its civil war but the Western-backed opposition dismissed the initiative.
Two rounds of peace talks this year in Geneva failed to halt the conflict which has killed 200,000 people during more than three years of violence and there was little sign of the latest move gaining traction.
Syrian state television quoted a source at the foreign ministry saying: "Syria is ready to participate in preliminary consultations in Moscow in order to meet the aspirations of Syrians to find a way out of crisis."
But there are many obstacles to peace. The most powerful insurgent group, the hardline Islamic State, controls a third of Syria but has not been part of any initiative to end the fighting.
Other rebel factions are not unified.
Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/12/27/us-mideast-crisis-talks-idUSKBN0K509V20141227