New Geneva Talks Round Must Prepare Syrian Warring Sides for Direct Dialogue

The next round of Geneva talks on Syrian reconciliation must prepare the warring parties for the establishment of direct dialogue between the government and opposition, Firas Khalidi, member of the Cairo group of the Syrian opposition, told Sputnik on Wednesday.

CAIRO (Sputnik) – From Khalidi's point of view, the process should involve building confidence between all parties of the reconciliation process, as it will pave the way for direct talks and the implementation of the UN Security Council Resolution 2254, a road map for the peace process in Syria.

"The fifth round of [Geneva] talks must become preparation for holding direct dialogue," Khalidi said.

Khalidi also said that some opposition groups tried to portray themselves as the only legitimate representatives of the Syrian people.

"That is not possible and contradicts the [UN] resolution 2254 … Given that, I believe that the agreement proposed by our platform during the previous round of talks – on coordination and unification – will contribute to the common good," he said.

The next round of the Geneva talks is scheduled for March 23.