Syria will 'in principle' attend peace talks
Source: Agencies |
May 27, 2013, Monday
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SYRIA'S government will "in principle" attend multilateral talks planned for June in Geneva and believes the conference will be an opportunity to resolve the country's conflict, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem said yesterday.
Russia and the US are sponsoring a proposed peace conference planned for next month on the war, which has killed 80,000 people and risks spilling over its borders and stirring regional sectarian violence.
"Syria will, in principle, participate in the international conference planned for June in Geneva," Moualem said after talks with his Iraqi counterpart in Baghdad. "We believe the meeting presents a good opportunity to resolve the Syrian crisis."
"No power on earth can decide on the future of Syria. Only the Syrian people have the right to do so," he added.
Washington is pushing opponents of Syrian President Bashar Assad to unite before the conference, but the fractious group has been hampered by power struggles during talks in Istanbul over their leadership during the past few days.
The government's statement puts more pressure on Syria's main opposition bloc, the Syrian National Coalition, to signal acceptance as well. The group was meeting in Istanbul for the fourth day yesterday to come up with a unified position on the proposed peace talks, elect new leaders and expand membership.
Much about the conference remains up in the air, including its date, agenda and participants. There are also still yawning gaps between the two sides on what the talks should accomplish.
Syrian opposition leaders have said they are willing to attend the Geneva talks, but that Assad's departure from power must top the agenda of any political transition.
Assad said earlier this month that his future won't be determined by international talks and that he will only step down after elections are held.
Louay Safi, a senior opposition member, said yesterday those conditions still stand, but that the coalition is bogged down with disagreements over expansion and can't issue a definitive statement on participation in the Geneva talks.
Russia and the US are sponsoring a proposed peace conference planned for next month on the war, which has killed 80,000 people and risks spilling over its borders and stirring regional sectarian violence.
"Syria will, in principle, participate in the international conference planned for June in Geneva," Moualem said after talks with his Iraqi counterpart in Baghdad. "We believe the meeting presents a good opportunity to resolve the Syrian crisis."
"No power on earth can decide on the future of Syria. Only the Syrian people have the right to do so," he added.
Washington is pushing opponents of Syrian President Bashar Assad to unite before the conference, but the fractious group has been hampered by power struggles during talks in Istanbul over their leadership during the past few days.
The government's statement puts more pressure on Syria's main opposition bloc, the Syrian National Coalition, to signal acceptance as well. The group was meeting in Istanbul for the fourth day yesterday to come up with a unified position on the proposed peace talks, elect new leaders and expand membership.
Much about the conference remains up in the air, including its date, agenda and participants. There are also still yawning gaps between the two sides on what the talks should accomplish.
Syrian opposition leaders have said they are willing to attend the Geneva talks, but that Assad's departure from power must top the agenda of any political transition.
Assad said earlier this month that his future won't be determined by international talks and that he will only step down after elections are held.
Louay Safi, a senior opposition member, said yesterday those conditions still stand, but that the coalition is bogged down with disagreements over expansion and can't issue a definitive statement on participation in the Geneva talks.
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