CAIRO
Syrian opposition leader Ahmad Jarba is expected to visit Moscow within days at the invitation of the Russian authorities, Syrian opposition spokesman Loai Safi said Tuesday.
The visit, expected within the next ten days, will be Jarba's first to the Russian capital, Safi told Anadolu Agency by phone.
Jarba had been unable to respond to an earlier invitation due to a previous engagement, Safi said, but was now keen to meet with Russian officials to reassure them that Moscow's interests "lie with the Syrian people, not the regime."
The talks are expected to focus on preparations for the upcoming Geneva II conference on January 22, the spokesman added.
Geneva II, which will aim to find a political solution to the conflict in Syria, had initially been planned for late May, after having first been proposed at a Moscow meeting between US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov.
Amid heated disagreements as to who should have seats at the table, however, the event was subsequently postponed.
By Hazem Badr
englishnews@aa.com.tr
