Syria's main opposition group said it will send a delegation Monday (January 22nd) to regime ally Russia to discuss with officials Moscow's "real stance" on the Syrian political process, AFP reported.

The visit by the Syrian Negotiations Commission (SNC) comes as Moscow gets set to host peace talks in the Black Sea resort of Sochi on January 30th, along with Syrian regime backer Iran and opposition supporter Turkey.

The SNC has said it will attend fresh UN-hosted negotiations before then, but has not yet announced if it will also go to the Sochi talks, which dozens of opposition factions have already rejected.

A statement by the SNC said Monday's visit was "in response to an invitation by the Russian foreign ministry" and that its delegation will hold talks with the foreign and defence ministers as well as members of parliament.

The visit aims at "understanding Russia's real stance towards the political process, since it is a partner in the conflict, a godfather of talks with Syria and a guarantor of de-escalation zones", it said.

SNC spokesman Yahya al-Aridi told AFP the opposition wanted "simply to make sure that Russia is serious about the entire peace process", particularly UN-led talks.