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Syrian oppositions wait for UN response on demands, undecided on participation in Geneva talks

Xinhua, January 28, 2016 Adjust font size:

Syrian oppositions have ended their meetings here Wednesday without reaching a final decision over whether they would participate in Syrian peace talks in Geneva, Al Arabia local news reported on Wednesday.

Head of the Kurdish Democratic Party Sheikh Salem Al Muslat told Al Arabia the meeting will continue on Thursday, adding that their fellow opposition members will continue to wait for the UN response of their demands.

The oppositions released on Tuesday a statement demanding genuine improvements on the ground before starting the negotiations.

The group said it is open to the eventual participation in the talks scheduled to begin on Friday.

The talks stem from an agreement reached in Vienna, Austria, in November by the International Syria Support Group, comprising the Arab League, the European Union, the United Nations, and 17 countries including the United States, Russia and China, as part of an effort to end the five-year-long war with an agreement on new governance, a new constitution and new elections.

The first phase could last two to three weeks before preparations are made for further phases and there will be no opening ceremony, de Mistura said, stressing that there will be a substantial presence of civil society and women, who represent 51 percent of the total population. Enditem