(Image source: Russian Council / Wikimedia Commons )     BY ZACH TOOMBS     A meeting between the Syrian opposition and President Bashar al-Assad’s chief remaining allies is prompting renewed hope for a diplomatic solution to the nation’s two-year civil war.   Al Jazeera reports a meeting on the sidelines of a Munich security conference marked the opposition’s first talks with Russia and Iran. U.S. Vice President Joe Biden was also in attendance. The BBC shows, despite differing views, he and Russia’s Sergei Lavrov spoke frankly about Syria on Saturday.   BIDEN: “President Assad, a tyrant, hell bent on clinging to power, is no longer fit to lead.” LAVROV: “The persistence of those who say that priority number one is the removal of President Assad, I think … is the single biggest reason for continuing tragedy in Syria.”   Syrian opposition leader Mouaz al-Khatib also expressed willingness to talk with his nation’s government — and he’s been invited to further talks in Moscow. The UN estimates at least 60,000 people have been killed since the Syrian civil war began. [Video: Sky News ]   Russia, Iran and China have long been reluctant toward intervening in Syria. Russia, especially, which relies on Syria for weapons purchases, has urged the international community to let Syria find a solution on its own.   The opposition’s newfound willingness to negotiate with Assad could be the result of a speech the unelected leader delivered three weeks ago, in which he expressed openness to talking about government transition with rebel leaders. [Video: YouTube / PressTV ]   But a major hurdle in those negotiations could be deciding whether or not Assad will be a part of any future Syrian government. So far, that’s been a point of contention on which neither side seems willing to budge.