Syrian Coalition officials said that the opposition’s High Negotiations Committee (HNC) discussed political transition and all related issues with the UN special envoy to Syria Staffan de Mistura in Geneva.
Member of the Syrian Coalition’s political committee Hawass Khalil said that the talks with de Mistura included a lengthy discussion about the political transition and all related issues needed to accomplish it.
Khalil, who is also a member of the HNC’s delegation to Geneva, said there should be a firm commitment on the elimination of terrorism and that that should not be subject to negotiation. The opposition’s negotiating delegation is seeking to achieve political transition to restore security and stability to Syria, he added. Political transition is the only way to defeat terrorism and put an end to the war crimes being committed in Syria on a daily basis at the hands of the Iranian-backed foreign militias.
The HNC delegation also met with the Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov in Geneva on Wednesday. Osama Taljo, member of the Coalition’s political committee and the HNC said that both sides held constructive discussions about the importance of the political transition as being essential to ending the conflict; ridding Syria of terrorism and tyranny; and ousting foreign militias from all Syrian territory.
When Russia weigh in on the political process, it can push the process forward as it presents itself as a guarantor of the cease-fire agreement, Taljo said. He pointed out that the opposition stressed the importance of ensuring full respect for a cease-fire and raised the issue of ongoing truce violations by regime forces during the meeting with Gatilov.
The Russian veto of a draft resolution in the UN Security Council seeking to impose sanctions against the use of chemical weapons and on perpetrators of war crimes contradicts Russia’s role as a guarantor of the ceasefire agreement and a permanent member of the UN Security Council responsible for maintaining global peace and security. (Source: Syrian Coalition’s Media Department)
