Russia invites Syrian opposition to Moscow for talks

"We welcome these processes," Lavrov said.

Also Monday, a Syrian government delegation arrived in Moscow for talks with Lavrov and other Russian senior diplomats.

Earlier Monday, Lavrov said that the timing of the Geneva-II meeting depended on "how well our Western partners do their homework of persuading the opposition to reject preconditions".

The SNC has confirmed it is willing to attend the peace conference, but insists that President Bashar al-Assad can play no role in any transitional period.