Syrian opposition NCB says Geneva II represents shift toward political solution to crisis

Source:Xinhua Published: 2014-1-29 23:38:20

Syria's domestically-based opposition group National Coordination Body (NCB) said Wednesday that the convening of the Geneva II peace conference represents a shift for Syria's long-running conflict toward a political solution.

"Holding the Geneva II conference based on international consensus is an indication of shift from the use of force and violence to a political process," Hasan Abdul-Azim, head of the NCB, said at a press conference in the Syrian capital of Damascus.

"We care about the new political climate, negotiations and political dialogue after the military showdown has reached a dead end," he said.

The Geneva II conference on Syria is a UN-backed international peace process aimed at ending Syria's nearly three-year-old crisis by bringing delegations of the Syrian government and the oppositional Syrian National Coalition (SNC), the opposition umbrella group in exile, to the negotiating table.

The conference kicked off on Jan. 22 in Montreux, Switzerland under the mediation of UN peace envoy to Syria Lakhdar Brahimi in close cooperation with the United States and Russia.

However, no breakthrough has resulted from the ongoing talks as both the opposition and government delegations are holding on to their demands.

The Syrian government wants the conference to focus on fighting terrorism, while the opposition wants it to tackle the issue of establishing a transitional government where President Bashar al- Assad plays no role.

The domestic opposition of Syria was not invited to attend the conference, which prompted it to demand a just and equal representation at the talks.

Posted in: Mid-East

blog comments powered by Disqus