PARIS – Russia says Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his American counterpart John Kerry have spoken by telephone about the process of resolving the Syrian conflict.
A Foreign Ministry statement says that in the Friday call, the two diplomats reaffirmed the intention to “further close interaction of our countries in the military sphere” in Syria.
It said the “two sides called for an early start of negotiations in Geneva under the auspices of the U.N. between the Syrian government and the whole spectrum of the opposition, during which Syrians themselves should determine the future of their country.
The statement added that the two “agreed to continue to actively promote all aspects of Syrian settlement through the International Syria Support Group, co-chaired by Russia, the U.S. and the U.N.”
A top Syrian opposition official says time is “not suitable” to resume peace talks next week in Geneva.
Riad Hijab, who heads the High Negotiations Committee, says that Syrian military operations are still ongoing, detainees have not been released by Damascus and little aid is entering rebel-held besieged areas.
Hijab told reporters on Friday in Paris said that it’s still early to say whether the negotiations really will resume next Wednesday as U.N. envoy Syria Staffan de Mistura has planned.
He says that since the truce brokered by Syria and Russia went into effect last Saturday, more than 50 rebel-held areas have been targeted.
Hijab also reiterated the opposition’s stand — that there should be no political role for Syrian President Bashar Assad and in the future or during the transitional period for Syria.

Source: The Associated Press, 5 March 2016