DHAKA: Staffan de Mistura, the UN envoy to Syria, will hold talks with Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow, as diplomatic efforts gather fresh momentum in the wake of Vienna talks on Friday.

‘The main subject will be the political process in Syria and starting a genuine dialogue between Damascus and the Syrian opposition,’ Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told the media on Tuesday, Al Jazeera publishes this report on Wednesday.

The meeting comes a day after Russia’s foreign ministry said that Syrian people should decide the fate of President Bashar al-Assad.

The US and its regional allies have been pushing for Assad to leave power for a political solution, while Russia and Iran have resisted the move.

Asked by a reporter on Tuesday if saving Assad was a matter of principle for Moscow, Zakharova said, ‘Absolutely not, we never said that’.

‘We are not saying that Assad should leave or stay,’ Russian news agency, RIA, quoted her as saying.

Zakharova said Russia had not changed its policy on Assad and that his fate should be decided by the Syrian people.

BDST: 1252 HRS, Nov 04, 2015
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