Damascus, Nov 16 (IANS): The Geneva II conference on the Syrian crisis will take place Dec 12, Syria's semi-official al- Watan newspaper said Saturday, quoting "a western diplomat in Paris", reported Xinhua.

"US Secretary of State John Kerry has told his French counterpart, Laurent Fabius, that Washington and Moscow were seeking to convene the international conference Dec 12 and would be declaring the conference's date Nov 25," the western diplomat told al-Watan, according to the paper.

The paper said that a well informed Syrian source in Damascus "didn't shun aside the date of the conference" as stated by the western diplomat, but said there are ongoing contacts with the Russian side to discuss the details, procedures and the date of the conference.

Furthermore, the Syrian source reiterated Damascus' readiness to take part in the Geneva II conference without preconditions, as previously stated by the Syrian government.

Syria's participation in Geneva II aims at ending the terrorism that the Syrian people are subjected to, the source said.

Arab media outlets said Friday that a high profile Syrian delegation will arrive in Moscow Saturday for talks on the preparations for the delayed Geneva II conference, which is aimed at hammering out a political solution to Syria's protracted crisis.

Reports said that Moscow has also invited members of the Syrian National Coalition-in-exile.