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                   EU, Syrian Opposition Leader to Hold Talks

   by VOA News

   European Union foreign ministers are set to meet Monday with new Syrian
   opposition leader Mouaz al-Khatib.
   The meeting in Brussels comes as Syrian ally Russia is reiterating its
   objection to any outside interference in a Syrian transition process.
   In a statement Monday, Russia's Foreign Ministry called for an
   immediate end to the fighting in Syria, and said any decisions about
   political reforms should be made by Syrians themselves.
   U.S. and Russian diplomats met in Geneva Sunday with U.N. peace envoy
   Lakhdar Brahimi.  The group agreed that the situation in Syria is "bad
   and getting worse," but that they believe a political solution is still
   possible.
   The United States has called for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to
   quit and begin a transition to a democratic government.
   Meanwhile, Syrian activists say rebels have seized part of a large army
   base near the northern city of Aleppo.
   The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the rebels entered the
   Sheik Suleiman base after weeks of fierce fighting.  The group said at
   least some of the fighters were with the group Jabhat al-Nusra, which
   is suspected of having ties to al-Qaida.
   Activists also said government warplanes bombed the Damascus suburb of
   Daraya on Monday, while rebels and Syrian forces clashes in other areas
   near the capital.
   In neighboring Lebanon, soldiers and tanks patrolled the streets in the
   northern city of Tripoli on Monday, after deadly clashes stirred by the
   fighting in Syria.
   Officials in Lebanon said Sunday running gun battles killed at least
   four people.  The deadly violence pitted Sunni supporters of Syria's
   rebels in the Bab Tabbaneh neighborhood against Alawites loyal to Assad
   in the adjacent district of Jabal Mohsen.

   Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.
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   [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/eu-syrian-opposition-leader-to-hold-t
   alks/1561770.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/eu-syrian-opposition-leader-to-hold-talks/1561770.html