DAMASCUS: A delegation of the Syrian government will take part in the second round of peace talks, aimed at finding a solution to the nearly three-year conflict in Syria, the country’s deputy foreign minister Faisal Muqdad said.
The foreign-backed opposition has already admitted that its delegation will take part in the talks which will begin on Monday in the Swiss city of Geneva.
The first round of the peace talks in Geneva ended inconclusively on January 31 amid sharp differences between representatives from the Syrian government and the Syrian national coalition.
The opposition and its Western supporters insist that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad must step down, giving way to the formation of a transitional government in Syria. But the Syrian government says Assad’s role is not up for debate in Geneva, and that his future role is a red line. It also argues that the foreign-backed opposition does not represent the Syrian opposition.
