Syrian Opposition to Talk With Damascus Only if UNSC Resolution Implemented

The Syrian opposition will only participate in the talks with the government if the recently-adopted UN Security Council resolution on the Syrian reconciliation is implemented, a member of the political bureau of the National Coalition for Syrian Revolution and Opposition Forces told Sputnik.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The intra-Syrian talks were slated to begin Friday evening.

"The final decision on the participation [will be made] if the provisions of the 2254 resolution are implemented. The high negotiations committee [of the opposition] is awaiting at least intermediate implementation of the resolution’s provisions to announce its participation in the talks," Naser Hariri said.

According to the official, the opposition is not seeking to boycott the political process or else it would not participate in the talks at all.

Hariri said that the implementation of points 12 and 13, calling for allowing humanitarian agencies access to people in need and urging all parties to cease attacks against civilians, were the most important for the opposition.

In December 2015, the UN Security Council adopted a resolution on settling the Syrian conflict. The resolution reaffirmed the goals of the Vienna agreements to gather the entire spectrum of political groups in the crisis-torn country at the negotiating table and stated that the next round of the talks would take place in January, 2016.

Deputy head of the Syrian opposition delegation at the intra-Syrian talks in Geneva George Sabra said Thursday the delegation would not travel to Geneva to attend the beginning of the talks on January 29.