UN Special Envoy Invites Assad Opponents to New Round of Geneva Talks

Stefan de Mistura, the UN envoy for Syria, has invited opponents of Bashar al-Assad to participate in the latest round of peace negotiations in Geneva, emphasizing the need to 'refrain from setting preconditions.' De Mistura's deputy has also engaged in discussions with officials in Damascus. The statement from de Mistura was released a day after Assad's opponents identified members of their inclusive council during a recent gathering in Saudi Arabia. This 36-member council, led by Nasr Hariri, who was elected after Riyad Hijab's resignation, is set to participate in the upcoming negotiations on Tuesday. Hijab resigned after announcing that 'efforts are underway to lower the expectations of revolutionaries and prolong the regime's (Bashar al-Assad) lifespan.' The 'High Council' reinstated Hariri to this position. Hariri had previously emphasized the necessity of Assad's resignation from power. In the UN envoy's statement on Saturday, it was specifically noted that the opponents have been informed that they must participate in the negotiations without preconditions. During a three-day meeting of the council formed by Assad's opposition groups in Riyadh, the need for direct and unconditional negotiations with the Syrian central government to end the country's civil war and begin a political transition was emphasized. The Associated Press reports that they refrained from stating that their participation in the Geneva meeting is conditional on Assad's resignation, which may indicate a degree of flexibility. However, Agence France-Presse notes that there is no sign that the previous demands of the opponents regarding Assad's resignation have changed. Hariri stated on Friday that direct negotiations with representatives of the central government are aimed at achieving a specific goal, namely establishing a political transition. Representatives of the Syrian central government have previously insisted that Assad's future will not be a subject of negotiation. De Mistura's deputy, who visited Damascus, told reporters that the Geneva meeting and the revival of UN-led peace talks for Syria will focus on four main topics: a new constitution, governance, elections, and combating terrorism.