At the start of a meeting with Syrian Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Qadri Jamil in Moscow, Lavrov said that last month's agreement in Northern Ireland for the two sides to work together to expel the extremists should become one of the main points of the proposed international peace conference, Interfax news agency reported on Monday.

"To our regret, unlike the government of Syria, a significant part of the opposition, including the Syrian National Council, has not expressed such readiness yet," Lavrov said.

Jamil's visit came as Russia and the US seek to convene an international conference on Syria but there are differences over its parameters.

The Syrian government has expressed its willingness to participate in such a meeting, while the opposition has insisted to continue the war until it compensates its losses.

Russia and Syria are also discussing the possibility of Moscow extending a loan to Damascus to help Syria's economy, Jamil said.

Jamil said that the issue was discussed at talks with Lavrov and that Damascus hoped for an agreement by the end of the year.

"We discussed it, although it is still early to talk in concrete figures," Jamil was quoted as saying by Russian news agencies.

The Syrian official added that all agreements for Russia's contract to deliver S-300 missile systems to Damascus were still in place.

The conflict in Syria started in March 2011, when pro-reform protests turned into a massive insurgency following the intervention of Western and regional states.

The unrest, which took in terrorist groups from across Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, has transpired as one of the bloodiest conflicts in recent history.

As the foreign-backed insurgency in Syria continues without an end in sight, the US government has boosted its political and military support to Takfiri extremists.

Washington has remained indifferent about warnings by Russia and other world powers about the consequences of arming militant groups.

NTJ/SHI