Russia reaffirms Assad support and takes initiative on 'contact group' talks

Group could meet by October, says Russia’s deputy foreign minister, as Putin and Obama prepare for UN meeting

Ian Black Middle East editor and Julian Borger in New York
Monday 28 September 2015

Efforts to resolve the crisis in Syria may be taken up by an international “contact group”, including Russia, Iran, the US, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt, it emerged on Monday, hours before a high-stakes meeting between Barack Obama and Vladimir Putin at the United Nations in New York.

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