Russia and the League of Arab States will facilitate establishing direct contacts between the Syrian opposition and government, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said after negotiations between the Russian-Arab Cooperation Forum at the ministerial level, RIA Novosti reported.
"Today we have agreed that we will utilize the offer of the Russian Federation and the Arab League in order to facilitate early direct contacts between the government and opposition of Syria," he said.
According to Lavrov, the Syrian government and opposition put forward preconditions for negotiations.
"But, according to our take on the situation, since there is a mutual willingness to start dialogue, the conflict is solvable through diplomacy," he added.
Anti-government disturbances have continued in Syria for more than a year and half. According to the UN, the total number of victims of the conflict in Syria exceeds 70,000 with around three million in need of humanitarian assistance. Syrian authorities say they oppose the well-armed militants.