January 28, 2016 - 5:38 AM
MOSCOW - Russian state news agency Tass is quoting a top diplomat as saying negotiations on Syira in the so-called "Vienna Format" could be held ahead of next month's Munich Security Conference.
Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov was quoted as saying Thursday that US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov have reached an agreement on holding the meeting in Munich on Feb. 11 and that invitations will be offered to all participants in the International Syria Support Group.
That ministerial-level grouping includes Western and Middle East countries, along with China, but does not include the Syrian government or opposition.
The annual Munich security conference begins Feb. 12.
Syrian peace talks under UN auspices are to begin Friday in Geneva.
News from © The Associated Press, 2016