UN Rules Out Intra-Syrian Talks Without HNC Participation - Deputy Special Envoy

UN Deputy Special Envoy for Syria said that United Nations will not hold a fresh round of intra-Syrian talks if a delegation of Syria's opposition High Negotiations Committee's (HNC) refuses to take part in it.

GENEVA (Sputnik) – The United Nations will not hold a fresh round of intra-Syrian talks if a delegation of Syria's opposition High Negotiations Committee's (HNC) refuses to take part in it, UN Deputy Special Envoy for Syria Ramzy Ezzeldin Ramzy said Thursday.

"Of course if there's going to be talks, there's going to be two sides- one is the government of Syria, the other is the opposition. There's no doubt about that," he told reporters said answering a question if the talks could be resumed without the HNC's participation.

On July 26, UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura said he aims to start the next round of intra-Syrian talks before the end of August.

The Syrian government delegation, as well as three opposition groups — the Riyadh-formed HNC, the Moscow-Cairo and the Hmeimim groups — have been taking part in the UN-mediated Geneva talks on peaceful settlement of the Syrian conflict.

The latest round of the talks took place in Geneva on April 13-27. The HNC walked out of the negotiations, citing the continuous fighting in Syria and the lack of progress on humanitarian issues.