Clinton: 'Very clear' Russia OK with Syria plan
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U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton says it was "very clear" that all the participants in Saturday's meeting on Syria — including Russia — are on board with a transition plan created by international envoy Kofi Annan.
Clinton spoke Thursday after Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said his country would not endorse a call for Syrian President Bashar Assad to give up power. He also denied a claim by a senior U.S. official that Russia was among the backers of a plan for a new Syrian government.
Clinton told reporters that the invitations to Saturday's meeting in Geneva made clear that representatives "were coming on the basis of (Annan's) transition plan."
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She said she expects the meeting "to provide an opportunity to make real progress" on that plan.