Australia snubbed in Syria talks
AAP
Russia snubbed Australia’s involvement in talks towards a peaceful political solution in Syria.
The United States supported Foreign Minister Julie Bishop attending the talks held in Vienna last week.
• G20 vow to fight terrorism
• Hospitals like ‘scenes of war’
• International manhunt launched
But Russian officials involved in the International Syria Support Group meeting objected to Australia’s attendance, effectively vetoing Ms Bishop’s role.
No explanation has been given for the veto, but the foreign minister has made a series of inflammatory comments about Russia over the MH17 disaster.
The Vienna meeting led to a renewed commitment to a political solution in Syria, which has been taken up by US President Barack Obama and Russia’s Vladimir Putin, who met on the sidelines of the G20 summit in the Turkish city of Antalya.
Australia is the second largest contributor to the US-led coalition seeking to drive Islamic State out of Syria and Iraq.
A second round of talks is due to be held in the next month.
– AAP