Lavrov: Syria Rebels 'More Realistic' amid Push for Talks

Russia is seeing more "realism" from the Syrian opposition, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Tuesday, as Moscow pressed on with efforts to set up elusive peace talks between the warring sides.

Speaking in an interview to Moscow's Nezavisimaya Gazeta newspaper, Lavrov praised some steps by the opposition, but said that no "constructive platform" has yet been found to unite all those opposing the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad.

"When all of the demands... will go on the table from both sides, it will be possible to put together some compromise agreements based on mutual concessions," Lavrov was quoted as saying.

"However, we are not at that stage yet, since, although there are more and more signs of realism in the ranks of the opposition, no (opposition) delegation has yet been formed... that would be representative and would represent the entire spectrum of Syrian society."

"We welcome efforts of the (National) Coalition to start dialogue with the internal opposition, including Kurdish organisations," Lavrov said, although he also criticized the coalition's attempts to "monopolize" the process of forming such a delegation.

The Geneva II conference -- tentatively scheduled for mid-December and meant to bring government and rebel representatives to the negotiating table for the first time -- has been delayed for months because of seemingly unreconcilable differences over the terms of the talks.

The Coalition has agreed to attend the conference only if it leads to a transitional period that would see the departure of Assad from power, a demand rejected by Russia and the Syrian regime.

The interview was published as Assad's adviser Buthaina Shaaban and Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Muqdad were meeting with Lavrov in Moscow.

Russia has been one of the Syrian regime's most important allies by providing it with backing at the United Nations and supplying its forces with heavy weapons throughout the 32-month war.