The representatives of the Syrian opposition are open to meeting the Russian Federation Council’s foreign affairs committee members on January 23-25, the council speaker, Valentina Matvienko, said Monday.

“The Syrian opposition representatives expressed their willingness to meet with the Federation Council’s foreign affairs committee,” Matvienko told reporters.

The bilateral meeting is likely to positively influence the settlement of the Syrian crisis, the speaker added.

The dates of the upcoming talks coincide with the negotiations between the Syrian government and the opposition representatives that are taking place in Astana, Kazakhstan. The Astana talks kicked off earlier on Monday and are expected to last through Tuesday.

The ongoing Astana talks, brokered by Moscow, Ankara and Tehran, are aimed at the peace settlement of the Syrian crisis, which has been ongoing since 2011, with government forces fighting against numerous terrorist groups, including ISIL.

Source: Sputnik