Russia refuses to attend conference on Syria

MOSCOW - Russia on Tuesday said it will not attend an international conference in Tunis this week aimed at seeking political change in Syria because the meeting only supported the opposition's cause.

The meeting was called "for the purpose of supporting one side against another in an internal conflict", the foreign ministry said in a statement. "We cannot accept the offer to attend this meeting."

The Friends of Syria group will meet for the first time on Friday after being created in a response to the joint veto by Russia and China.