Syria to attend talks; opposition dithers

Syria has announced its readiness to attend the peace talks slated to resume next week, while the Saudi-backed opposition is still undecided whether to partake in the sessions.

A source close to the Damascus negotiating team said the Syrian delegates are set to participate in the negotiations that will resume in Geneva, Switzerland, on March 14, AFP reported.

However, Riyad Farid Hijab, the Head of the so-called High Negotiations Committee (HNC), continued to send mixed signals on the Riyadh-based opposition’s participation and said it “will assess the situation in the coming days and we will take the appropriate decision.”

His statements appeared to be a step back from earlier comments by HNC Spokesman Riad Naasan Agha, who had said the opposition delegation would arrive in Geneva on Friday to take part in the talks.

The latest round of such negotiations collapsed in Geneva in early February after the HNC refrained from attending the sessions amid the Russian-backed Syrian army gains on the battle ground against Takfiri terrorists.

A ceasefire agreement, brokered by Russia and the United States, entered into force in Syria late last month. The truce has been largely holding, resulting in a dramatic drop in civilian casualties from the foreign-backed conflict which has reportedly claimed some 470,000 lives since 2011.

ME