Syria talks are set to kickoff next week and Russia wants officials from the incoming Trump administration to attend the meeting in Kazakhstan. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said during a news conference Tuesday that Moscow was encouraged by President-elect Donald Trump’s focus on combating terrorism. He voiced hope that Russian and U.S. experts could start discussions on fighting terrorism in Syria, in Kazakhstan's capital when Syrian government and opposition representatives meet for talks. Lavrov said that Russia expects that cooperation on settling the Syrian crisis will be more productive than it was with the Obama administration. Opposition activists have reported widespread violence around Syria.

Source: Fox News January 17, 2017 10:46 UTC