Russia says that Syria will ship out another stockpile of chemical weapons this month, as the opposition seeks to persuade Moscow to push for a transitional government for the war-scarred nation.
Russia, traditionally a key ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, downplayed concerns that the regime was falling behind in the timetable to remove its chemical weapons - an agreement reached in September with Moscow and Washington that averted US military strikes.
"I would not dramatise the disarmament issue," Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov told the RIA Novosti news agency on Tuesday.
"Literally yesterday the Syrians announced that they are planning to move out a large amount of chemical substances in February," he added.
"They are ready to complete this process by March 1, in accordance with the deadlines set by the OPCW (Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons)."
The US says only two small shipments of chemicals worth about four per cent of Syria's declared arsenal have left the Syrian port of Latakia so far - far less than the 700 tonnes the country was supposed to dispose of by the end of 2013.
Gatilov attributed the delay to unforeseen circumstances and security issues, but said that "as far as the deadlines, everything is going rather well."
His comments came after Syrian National Coalition chief Ahmad Jarba met Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in a bid to get Moscow's help in making the regime accept a political transition that could pave the way to Assad's removal from power.
The opposition and regime made little headway at a 10-day peace conference in Switzerland that ended Friday without a commitment from Damascus to attend a new round of negotiations set for February 10.
The rival delegations made no progress on what mediators had defined as relatively easy trust-building issues - local ceasefires and humanitarian corridors - much less on the opposition's demand for a transitional government.
Gatilov indicated Tuesday that Moscow expected Assad to firmly state his delegation's intentions to resume the Geneva II peace talks next week.
Following his meeting with Lavrov, Jarba stressed his umbrella opposition group was especially concerned with Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem's refusal in Geneva to hold any discussion about a transitional government.
He told reporters Lavrov had treated the opposition's stance on Assad with "understanding".
"We told the Russian leaders that we are open to any solutions that ensure Syria's future -- a future that is free of Assad and his war criminals," Jarba said.
"I think that we have entered a new stage of relations with Russia," the opposition leader added.
"We now have good relations ... that I hope will continue to develop further."
But Lavrov himself gave no sign that Moscow intended to step up its pressure on the regime.
Russia's top diplomat simply told Jarba in opening comments available to reporters that "today's conversation will be very, very useful in helping clarify approaches that could help advance the Geneva process."
