HNC Member Denies Committee Considering Joining Forces With Other Groups

Syrian opposition High Negotiations Committee (HNC) member Naser Hariri refuted claims in an interview to Sputnik on Monday that the group could join a united opposition delegation at the intra-Syria talks.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Earlier in the day, Yahya Aridi, HNC adviser, told Sputnik that the group was considering the possibilities of joining forces with other opposition delegations.

"I don’t believe that these claims are accurate. I do not think that HNC has considered this stance or put it forward for discussion," Hariri said.

The Syrian opposition High Negotiations Committee’s (HNC) former chief negotiator Mohammed Alloush will continue taking part in the intra-Syria talks as the representative of the Jaysh al-Islam movement, HNC member Naser Hariri told Sputnik Monday.

While speaking about former chief negotiator Mohammed Alloush, Hariri said that Alloush would continue taking part in the intra-Syria talks as the representative of the Jaysh al-Islam movement.

On Sunday, Alloush announced his resignation as HNC’s chief representative over the failure of the peace talks in Geneva to bring a political settlement in Syria.

"Alloush, having resigned, remains the main representative of Jaysh al-Islam in HNC," Hariri said.

He added that there have not yet been any discussions as to who may replace Alloush.

A 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.

Moscow-Cairo opposition delegation includes three separate subgroups — the so-called Moscow, Cairo and Astana platforms — representing slightly different views on the Syrian settlement.

The latest round of intra-Syrian 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.