Russia said it has sent invitation for talks to the head of the opposition group, Syria National Council.

Russia said it has sent invitation for talks to the head of the opposition group, Syria National Council.

Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov said the talks with the SNC head Ahmed Moaz al-Khatib could take place in Moscow or a foreign location like Geneva or Cairo.
"The invitation has been handed over, it is in the hands of Ahmed Moaz al-Khatib," the top diplomat told the RIA Novosti news agency.

Russia has so far strongly criticized moves by Western and anti-Assad Arab states to recognize the National Coalition as legitimate representatives of the Syrian people since the group was formed after lengthy talks which lasted in the Qatari capital for four days last month due to the divisions among the opposition factions.

A Syrian deputy foreign minister visited Moscow on Thursday and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is to meet the international peace envoy Lakhdar Brahimi in the Russian capital on Saturday.

Bogdanov also said he expected there to be a new three-way meeting between Brahimi and US and Russian representatives on the Syrian crisis in January.

"We will hear what Lakhdar Brahimi says about the Syrian crisis and likely there will be a decision on a new 'triple B' meeting with Lakhdar Brahimi, (US Deputy Secretary of State) William Burns and Mikhail Bogdanov," he said.
"But this will be in January, after the (Russian New Year) holidays," Bogdanov added.