PHOTO: Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem and Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov

At the Geneva II talks on Wednesday, the Assad delegation bluntly rejected an opposition proposal for a transitional governing authority. Instead, regime officials sought Russia’s support for their priority of discussing “terrorism”.

The opposition set out its plan in a letter to United Nations envoy Lakhdar Brahami, but the Assad delegation made clear in a joint session on Wednesday afternoon that it would not discuss the initiative.

Instead, Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem met Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov to project their continuing “coordination and consultation”. Al-Moallem emphasized that talks would not be on the basis of the June 2012 “Geneva I” communique, which effectively calls for President Assad to step down as a transitional governing authority is established. Instead, the communique would be implemented “item by item, particularly stopping violence and combating terrorism”.

Brahimi also met Gatilov, as the UN envoy turned to Russia and the US for some movement in the joint discussions.

Brahimi will see Gatilov and US Undersecretary of State Wendy Sherman today.