Syrian Government Wants to Conduct Next Meeting With Opposition in Moscow

MOSCOW, January 29 (Sputnik) — The Syrian governmental delegation has proposed to conduct more consultative meetings with the opposition; first, it was proposed to hold a meeting in Damascus and then hold another meeting in Moscow after that, the head of the Syrian government’s delegation said Thursday.

"We wish for the final consultative meeting to be held in Damascus and after that in Moscow," Bashar Ja'afari, who is also Syria's envoy to the United Nations, told journalists.

According to Ja'afari, the Syrian governmental delegation agrees with Russia that the talks have to continue. However, it will take time to organize the consultative negotiations, he added.

Intra-Syria talks took place in Moscow on January 26-29. Government officials, representatives of the opposition parties and the UN special envoy for Syria participated in the negotiations.

In June 2012 and January 2014 in Geneva, Switzerland, representatives of the Syrian government, opposition and international mediators gathered to discuss the country's political crisis. However, both rounds of Syrian reconciliation talks failed to put an end to the civil war.

Syria has been embroiled in civil war since 2011. The country's army is fighting several opposition and rebel groups, including the Islamic State. Syria's internal conflict has killed 200,000 people so far, according to UN estimates.