Lakhdar Brahimi to meet Clinton, Lavrov on Syria

UN-Arab League Special Representative for Syria Lakhdar Brahimi will host three-way talks with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in the Irish capital, Dublin.

A senior US official said on Thursday, “Secretary Clinton has accepted an invitation by UN special envoy Brahimi for a trilateral meeting on Syria this afternoon with Mr. Brahimi and Russian FM Lavrov” in Dublin.

Diplomatic sources in the Russian capital Moscow said the three sides will “speak about a plan (or) common understanding on how to move forward.”

The negotiations will take place on the sidelines of a meeting of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

Clinton reiterated Washington’s stance on Syria before flying to Ireland on Wednesday, saying that the US would continue to support the so-called opposition group Syrian National Coalition, which was formed in Qatar in November following US efforts.

Syria has been the scene unrest since March 2011. Many people, including large numbers of army and security personnel, have lost their lives in the turmoil.

On Thursday, Germany’s cabinet approved sending surface-to-air Patriot missiles and a total of 400 soldiers to Turkey’s border with Syria. The Syrian government said any aggression on its soil would lead to catastrophic consequences.

The Syrian government says certain Western states, especially the United States, and their regional allies are fueling the turmoil in the country.

On November 28, the New York Times said the US administration “is considering deeper intervention to help push President Bashar al-Assad from power.”