Russia doubts mid-November date for Syria peace talks

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia expressed doubt on Tuesday that Western nations can persuade Syrian opposition representatives to take part in an international peace conference in time for it to take place in mid-November.

The doubts by Damascus's most important ally followed remarks in which the international envoy for Syria, Lakhdar Brahimi, said the target date of mid-November was "not 100 percent certain" and cited disunity among rebel forces.

"Until recently we hoped our Western partners, who undertook to bring the opposition to the conference, could do it quite quickly, but they were unable to do it quickly, and I don't know whether they will be able to do so by mid-November," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.

A pledge by the Syrian government to abandon chemical arms has boosted prospects for the peace conference, proposed by Russia and the United States in May, to go ahead.

U.N. Security Council powers hope it can be held in mid-November. Lavrov said it must be organized soon because "radicals and jihadists are strengthening their positions" in Syria.

"The task is to not lose any more time, and to bring to the negotiating table with the government those opposition groups that ... think not about creating a caliphate in Syria or just seizing power and using it at their will, but about the fate of their country," Lavrov said after talks with Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, secretary general of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.

(Writing by Steve Gutterman, Editing by Timothy Heritage)

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