Salem al-Meslet, member of the Syrian Coalition and a spokesman for the opposition’s High Negotiations Committee (HNC), said that HNC would participate in the upcoming Geneva talks only after women and children detained by the Assad regime have been released and humanitarian aid delivered to civilians in need.
Meslet called on those serious about stopping the bloodshed in Syria and end the starvation of civilians to seize the opportunity the Munch truce agreement offers. He warned that the deliberate mixing up of terrorist groups with mainstream rebel factions will certainly foil the Munich agreement.
For his part, Secretary-General of the Syrian Coalition Mohammed Yahya Maktabi said that observing the truce agreement would undoubtedly represent a step forward on the path of reaching a political solution.
Maktabi pointed out that the truce agreement proposes measures that, if fully implemented, would offer an opportunity to move ahead to a new stage.
However, Russia continued to carry out airstrikes on civilian areas in Syria immediately after the announcement of the agreement in Munich on Thursday.
The Secretary-General stressed the need for an international will to implement the terms of the truce agreement, adding that “we cannot stand against the will of the Syrian people as their aspirations, sacrifices of and goals are all legitimate rights that must be guaranteed.”
Maktabi urged the international community to shoulder its responsibility and demonstrate seriousness about making the truce agreement a success by ensuring the implementation of its key terms. (Source: Syrian Coalition)