Preparations underway for Syrian National Dialogue Congress - Lavrov

Preparations are underway for the Syrian Congress on National Dialogue, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Tuesday. The forum’s agenda and dates are under consideration, TASS quoted him as saying. Earlier reports said the congress may take place in the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi on November 18. “We are currently harmonizing the agenda, dates and other organizational aspects of the Congress” with Turkey and Iran - guarantors of the Syrian ceasefire alongside Russia, the minister said, as cited by TASS. He added that no one has postponed the event “because the date of the congress has not been officially announced.” On Sunday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said the Kremlin had told Ankara it was postponing the event, AFP reported.