The National Conference for Rescuing Syria has kicked off in Damascus on Sunday on the initiative of the Syrian Oppositional National Coordination Body (NCB). About 15 oppositional parties and 8 civil society movements are taking part in the conference.
The conference is also attended by the ambassadors from Russia, China, Iran and a number of Arab countries, which maintain diplomatic missions in Syria.
In his speech the Russian ambassador in Syria Azamat Kulmukhamedov noted that the main goal for today is immediate cease fire by the conflicting parties and conversion of the standoff into a peaceful political discussion.
According to Arab mass media the participants are to discuss such issues as change of the regime in Syria and switching to secular democratic state.
Syrian government forces have quashed a rebel attempt to seize three strategic towns in the northwestern Idlib province close to Syria’s border with Turkey.
They have destroyed 5 rebel buses and more than 40 off-road vehicles carrying heavy machine guns. The rebels say they have downed a government jet.
In Aleppo, meanwhile, government troops have continued their offensive, leaving over 20 rebels dead and dozens wounded.
Source: Voice Of Russia
