Damascus Says Ready for Talks, Wants List of Terrorist Groups
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Syria's government told a UN envoy Saturday it was ready to take part in Geneva peace talks scheduled for Jan. 25 but said it wanted a list of terrorist groups who are not allowed to participate.
Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem, who met UN envoy Staffan de Mistura in Damascus, also said the government wanted to know which opposition figures would participate.
The Geneva talks are part of an international bid to end the five-year conflict that has killed an estimated 250,000 people. The plan for a hoped-for ceasefire envisages defining "terrorist groups" in Syria, one of the toughest issues facing diplomats.
The outlook for the talks has been further clouded by increased tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran, which back opposing sides in the conflict. Tensions have risen since Saudi Arabia executed prominent Shiite cleric Nimr al-Nimr, which ignited widespread international condemnation.
Muallem told de Mistura "Syria is ready to take part in the Geneva meetings at the proposed time, confirming the necessity of obtaining the list of terrorist organizations and the list of names of the Syrian opposition groups that will take part", Reuters reported.
Conferences in Geneva in 2014 failed to bring about a settlement, though this round is seen as particularly urgent after the UN Security Council passed a resolution last month endorsing a transitional plan for Syria.