ABU DHABI: US Secretary of State John Kerry said on Monday it was possible to broaden cooperation with Russia on Syria, but such a move should not deter opposition groups trying to topple Syrian President Bashar Assad.

Kerry met Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan on Monday and later held talks with Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir on ways to bring Syrian opposition groups together at a conference in Riyadh next month.

Although he said Washington was not under pressure to work more closely with Moscow, such cooperation would be possible under the right circumstances and could lead to “constructive possibilities.” But he told journalists that it was wrong to see any of Washington’s moves as helping keep Assad in power.

“If certain entities perceive that whatever we’re doing is going to help Assad to stay, that complicates issues,” he said. “So it has to be done in a way that manages the passions ... among people who have been fighting Assad for four years.”

Khaled Khoja, president of the Syrian National Coalition told a news conference in Istanbul on Monday that his organization had received a “verbal invitation” from Saudi Arabia to take part in the opposition conference next month.

“We hope that we emerge from the conference ... with a result that speeds up a political solution,” he said in televised remarks, adding that the group welcomed Riyadh’s initiative and would work to make it a success.

Referring to the Paris attacks, Kerry said called for accelerated efforts against Daesh militants. “We have to cut off the notion of success in Daesh that attracts people elsewhere to want to affiliate with them, and then Daesh gets a cheapie — someone who is already a terrorist does something in their name,” he said.