Syria Peace talks

Accept Assad for now

GENEVA: Syrian opposition negotiators in Geneva receive a steady stream of visitors, all bearing the same request: freeze the demand that President Bashar al-Assad resign as a precondition for a peace deal, reports AFP. With an eighth round of UN-backed peace talks dragging on, the opposition is in a tight spot. They insist Assad cannot be part of Syria’s longterm future but are being pushed to recognise realities on the ground, where the regime has the upper hand. “Most of the diplomats that have visited the delegation have repeated the same call,” an opposition delegate told AFP, requesting anonymity. “You have to be realistic if you want to solve the conflict,” he described diplomats as telling the opposition. “They want us to freeze the demand that Assad step down, but not abandon it completely.” Syria’s opposition was pressured ahead of the talks to form a united delegation for the first time, which it agreed at talks in Riyadh.

 

Syria Peace talks

Accept Assad for now

GENEVA: Syrian opposition negotiators in Geneva receive a steady stream of visitors, all bearing the same request: freeze the demand that President Bashar al-Assad resign as a precondition for a peace deal, reports AFP. With an eighth round of UN-backed peace talks dragging on, the opposition is in a tight spot. They insist Assad cannot be part of Syrias longterm future but are being pushed to recognise realities on the ground, where the regime has the upper hand. Most of the diplomats that have visited the delegation have repeated the same call, an opposition delegate told AFP, requesting anonymity. You have to be realistic if you want to solve the conflict, he described diplomats as telling the opposition. They want us to freeze the demand that Assad step down, but not abandon it completely. Syrias opposition was pressured ahead of the talks to form a united delegation for the first time, which it agreed at talks in Riyadh.