Russia, Arab League offer to broker Syria talks

(Vatican Radio) Russia and the Arab League yesterday proposed to broker talks between the Syrian opposition and President Bashar Assad's regime to try to resolve the country's civil war. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said the Kremlin and the Arab League are attempting to establish direct contact between the Syrian regime and the opposition.

He also added that sitting down at the negotiating table is the only way to end the conflict without irreparably damaging Syria.

``Neither side can allow itself to rely on a military solution to the conflict, because it's a road to nowhere, a road to mutual destruction of the people,''

At a meeting in Moscow, both Lavrov and Arab League General Secretary Nabil Elaraby said their main priority was creating a transitional government in Syria to navigate a way out of the conflict.

Lavrov said, no conditions for the Syrian negotiations have been set.

Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem will lead a delegation to Moscow on Monday, and Russia is expecting a visit in March from the opposition Syrian National Coalition leader, Mouaz al-Khatib.

Meanwhile in Syria,

An air raid hit the Damascus suburb of Hamouriyeh, on Wednesday killing at least 20 people, according to rights activists.

The raid followed a mortar attack on a sports complex in the neighbourhood of Baramkeh in central Damascus, killing one soccer player and wounding three more. Listen