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Senior Russian official in Damascus for talks with Syrian leaders

Associated Press
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Russia's deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov, speaks with journalists after his meeting with the Lebanese Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil, at the Lebanese foreign ministry, in Beirut, Lebanon, Friday, Dec. 5, 2014. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla) (The Associated Press)

FILE -- In this April 14, 2014 file photo, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov meets with Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sudan Ali Ahmed Karti in Moscow, Russia. Bogdanov arrived in the Syrian capital Damascus Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2014 for talks expected to focus on Moscow's efforts to bring all sides in Syria's seemingly intractable civil war to the negotiating table. Damascus is the last leg of a regional tour that has taken Bogdanov to Turkey for meetings with Syrian opposition leaders as well as Lebanon for talks with senior government officials and Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, File) (The Associated Press)

In this photo released by the Syrian official news agency SANA, Syrian President Bashar Assad, right, speaks with Russia's deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov in Damascus, Syria, Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2014. Bogdanov arrived in the capital Wednesday on a two-day visit for talks expected to focus on Moscow's efforts to bring all sides in Syria's seemingly intractable civil war to the negotiating table. (AP Photo/SANA) (The Associated Press)

A senior Russian official is in Damascus for talks expected to focus on Moscow's efforts to bring all sides in Syria's seemingly intractable civil war to the negotiating table.

Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov arrived in the Syrian capital Wednesday for a two-day visit. He told reporters that he would meet with the Syrian leadership, but did not elaborate.

Syria's pro-government Al-Watan newspaper said Bogdanov would meet with President Bashar Assad and Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem during the trip.

Damascus is the last leg of regional tour that has taken Bogdanov to Turkey for meetings with Syrian opposition leaders as well as Lebanon for talks with senior government officials and Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah.

Bogdanov says Russia is trying to arrange a meeting between Syria's warring sides without preconditions.