Summary The government has refused to talk with the armed opposition.
MOSCOW (AP) - Syria's deputy prime minister says an international conference to discuss a political solution to his country's conflict is planned for Nov. 23-24.
Qadri Jamil made the announcement during a visit to Moscow on Thursday, according to Russian media outlets.
But despite Jamil's remarks, it's unclear whether the conference that the U.S. and Russia have been trying to convene for months will indeed take place.
The main Western-backed Syrian opposition group has not decided whether to attend, and many rebel fighters inside Syria flatly reject negotiating with President Bashar Assad's regime.
The government, meanwhile, has refused to talk with the armed opposition.
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Wednesday that efforts are intensifying to try to hold the Geneva meeting in mid-November.
