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Syrian opposition says to attend Geneva talks after UN assurances

Xinhua, January 30, 2016 Adjust font size:

Syrian opposition said on Friday it is going to attend the Geneva talks on the Syrian crisis as scheduled after receiving assurances from the United Nations, Al Arabiya local news reported.

The assurances are related to the implementation of Security Council resolutions related to humanitarian issues.

The Syrian opposition higher negotiating Committee (HNC) based in Riyadh announced Thursday that it will boycott the talks until receiving official response from the UN about a list of concern. According to a local al-Hadath news channel, the HNC received both UN and U.S. guarantees.

Earlier, UN Special Envoy to Syria Staffan de Mistura will begin by meeting the government's delegation, which is headed by the country's UN ambassador Bashar Jaafari, according to de Mistura's spokeswoman Khawla Mattar. She said the envoy is expected to later meet other participants in the talks, including civil society representatives.

The indirect talks are part of a process outlined in a UN resolution last month that envisages an 18-month timetable for a political transition in Syria, including the drafting of a new constitution and elections. Enditem