President Putin and Bashar al-Assad with Russian military officers at the Russian air base in Hmeimim, Latakia, on December 11, 2017.

:: The Russian Foreign Ministry is preparing the list of participants at the Syrian National Dialogue Congress set to take place in Sochi at the end of January, Russian media reported on Saturday.

As per new boundaries set by the ministry, the Syrian opposition must set aside the notion of removing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad from office in order to participate at the congress.

The ministry also said that they will not allow Sochi to become an arena pro-Assad leaving. Continuation of the former only supports the opposition’s desire to continue an armed conflict, the ministry added.

The ministry also reaffirmed UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura’s invitation to the congress while noting the possibility of the US’s participation, but only as an observer.

President of the Syrian Opposition’s Media Hub Ahmed Ramadan said on Saturday that what Russia is attempting to impose is a challenge to Syrians and the world.

Deals that oppose the decisions of the international community and the demands of the Syrian people must not be passed, he added.