United Nations Syria Envoy to Visit Russia

By Reuters

Oct. 17, 2014

United Nations Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura holds a map of Kobani as he addresses his first news conference at the United Nations European headquarters in Geneva. Denis Balibouse / Reuters

United Nations Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura will visit Russia next week, the Moscow-based U.N. information center said Friday.

Russia, which has stood by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad during the three-year-old conflict, has objected to a U.S.-backed bombing campaign against Islamic State targets in Iraq and Syria, saying they should have been agreed with Assad.

De Mistura is expected to meet Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Oct. 21, RIA news agency quoted Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov as saying.

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