Top Russian, Syrian Diplomats Discuss Political Settlement in Middle Eastern State

"The ministers discussed the situation in and around Syria, with a focus on promoting a comprehensive political settlement through a nationwide dialogue without outside interference," the ministry said in a statement.

The Russian minister also briefed his counterpart about the results of his recent tour of Arab nations, noting the progress achieved by the Arab League regarding the need for Damascus to return to the regional organization.

The sides also touched upon preparations for the sixth session of the Syrian Constitutional Committee's small body in Geneva, set to be convened by mid-April.

The latest meeting of the constitutional committee, which was held in Geneva in January, was qualified by UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen as disappointing, since the sides did not reach an agreement on the procedure for negotiations within the small group. According to the UN official, the governmental delegation did not support proposals on the format of the talks.

The civil war in Syria has been ongoing since 2011, with President Bashar Assad's forces fighting against various insurgent and terrorist groups. Moscow has been active in attempting to facilitate the peace process between various factions in the conflict, as well as assisting the country's return to normal life, disrupted by hostilities.

On March 15 the world marked the 10th anniversary since the start of the civil conflict in Syria.