Date of possible visit to Syria by Russian upper house delegation to be agreed by diplomats

GENEVA, October 18. /TASS/. Speaker of Russia’s Federation Council upper parliament house Valentina Matviyenko said on Sunday the date of a visit to an Federation Council delegation to Syria will be agreed later through diplomatic channels. "A possible date of my visit or a visit by a Federation Council delegation will depend on many conditions. This date can be agreed later via diplomatic channels," she told journalists. Matviyenko said she had expressed readiness to visit Syria "implying our solidarity with the Syrian people which is facing a real humanitarian catastrophe." Earlier on Sunday, Speaker of the Syrian Parliament Mohammed Jihad al-Laham invited Matviyenko to visit Syria. "I am ready," she said to his invitation. She also said she was ready to welcome Syrian lawmakers in Moscow. She said upper house lawmakers had visited Syria more than once in the recent months to meet with both the Syrian government and the opposition to try to arrive at a solution to the Syrian crisis. "You can always rely on us. Russia will always be there by your side," she pledged, adding that a Federation Council delegation would pay another visit to Syria soon. Read more