Syrian transitional government 'could include Assad followers' The Geneva meeting will be attended by foreign ministers from the major powers - all permanent members of the UN Security Council - along with Turkey, Qatar, Kuwait and Iraq. "Russia's acceptance of this plan could be a new sign that it is ready to let Assad go," said one diplomat. Another diplomat, however, expressed surprise that Russia would accept any plan under which Assad would be abandoned by its main ally. Russia's UN Ambassador Vitaly Churkin said there was no guarantee that Annan's document would be agreed to in Geneva. "Whatever Kofi Annan is going to prepare is going to be basis of discussion for the ministers," Mr Churkin told reporters. That does not mean that Russia is going to try to renegotiate everything. Of course Kofi Annan has been consulting with us and others on the paper - it is not something that simply came to his mind - but I would not rule out that there will be additional discussions on the paper or maybe something in addition to the paper. It is going to be a working conference," Churkin said. Speaking in the Finnish capital Helsinki on Wednesday, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said she had been in regular contact with Annan over his transition plan. She did not make public details of his proposal, but noted: "I've been in close consultation with special envoy Kofi Annan about the prospects for a meeting that would focus on a road map for political transition in Syria." Annan "has developed his own very concrete road map for political transition, he has been circulating it for comments and when I spoke to him yesterday I conveyed our support for the plan that he has put forward," said Clinton. "We think it embodies the principles needed for any political transition in Syria that could lead to a peaceful, democratic and representative outcome reflecting the will of the Syrian people," she added.