Russia unsure West can get Syrian rebels to talks by November

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Tuesday that it is unclear whether Western nations will be able to bring representatives of the Syrian opposition to a planned international peace conference by a target date of mid-November.

Syria's pledge to abandon its chemical arsenal has rekindled hopes that an international conference proposed by Russia and the United States in May could materialise, and UN Security Council powers hope it can be held in mid-November. (Reuters)