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Syrian Opposition Group Rejects Assad Talks

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Syria's main opposition group, the Syrian National Council (SNC), rules out any forms of dialogue with the country’s authorities, but supports talks with international organizations on a power transition in Syria, Basma Kodmani, a member of the SNC Executive Board, said on Tuesday.

Syria's main opposition group, the Syrian National Council (SNC), rules out any forms of dialogue with the country’s authorities, but supports talks with international organizations on a power transition in Syria, Basma Kodmani, a member of the SNC Executive Board, said on Tuesday.

“We are discussing a political mechanism for the solution of the Syrian crisis that was proposed by the Arab League and this mechanism should be adopted by the UN Security Council,” she told a news conference in Moscow, adding that SNC is against “the talks with the ruling authorities,” but favors “talks for the implementation of this mechanism under the UN supervision.”

She said the Syrian opposition is united by only the idea of changing the ruling regime in the country and the visit of SNC to Moscow is aimed at convincing Russia to switch its support from President Bashar al-Assad to the Syrian opposition.

“We are definitely addressing Russia, which is one of the fundamental countries for Syria and plays a big role for us, with the hope that it will help us to turn the page of the old regime and transform to the new democratic order,” Kodmani said.

Russia and China have twice vetoed UN Security Council resolutions condemning the Assad government, citing a pro-rebel bias. Moscow has also made it clear it would not support military intervention in Syria, saying it was up to Syrians themselves to resolve the crisis by launching a broad national dialogue.

On Monday, UN and Arab League envoy Kofi Annan visited Syria in an attempt to salvage his battered peace plan, which was designed to end more than a year of bloodshed there. Annan said his talks with Assad were “positive and constructive.”

Moscow has supported both the Annan plan and a transition plan endorsed during a Syria Action Group in Geneva on June 30, which calls for the creation of a transitional government in Syria to involve representatives of both the Assad government and opposition groups.

Kodmani also criticized Iran’s position saying the country renders military and financial assistance to Assad, which he uses against the peaceful protesters.

“Iran is actually taking part in the crimes against the people of Syria… as it provides financial and military assistance to the [ruling] regime,” she said.

 

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