US SECRETARY of State John Kerry signalled support today for a Russian attempt to bring Syria’s government and opposition groups around the negotiating table, saying it “could be helpful.”

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will host a summit in Moscow from January 26-29 hoping to win agreement from secular opposition forces to unite with the government against extremist terrorist organisations such as Isis and the al-Nusra Front.

In return the Bashar al-Assad government would enter talks on political reform.

But the Western-backed exile outfit the Syrian National Coalition has said it will not take part unless Mr Assad’s removal is guaranteed.

Mr Lavrov warned today: “Those who decide not to take part will lose in terms of their position in the peace talks as a whole.”

The West’s support for the uprising against Damascus that began in 2011 has played into the hands of radical Islamist groups which now dominate the revolt.

European governments have expressed fears that young fanatics who head to Syria to fight are coming home ready and able to launch terrorist attacks such as last week’s on French magazine Charlie Hebdo.

But Mr Kerry continued to blame Mr Assad for encouraging terrorists by not surrendering to them.

“It is time for the Assad regime to put their people first and to think about the consequences of their actions which are attracting more and more terrorists to Syria, basically because of their efforts to remove Assad,” he said.