Nasr al-Hariri: Assad regime aims at hampering negotiations

The head of the Syrian opposition’s delegation to Geneva, Dr. Nasr al-Hariri, said that Assad terrorists were the only responsible for the recent military escalation in Syria and not the opposition fighters, because Assad regime and its allies were the only parties who killed, displaced, and detained Syrians. 

The opposition fighters are only defending themselves against the ferocious indiscriminate attacks conducted by Assad terrorists, he added.  

Al-Hariri’s comments came in a press conference held in Geneva. He assured the journalists that opposition delegation was ready to discuss the essence of the political process in a positive way to end the suffering of the Syrian people. 

"We want this political process to go ahead. The focus has to be on the contents. We have to avoid the stumbling blocks put by Assad regime. We have to focus on the aspired political transition, after that we come to focus on fighting terrorism. Counterterrorism will never be effective except through a political transition which guarantees the getting rid of those who committed war crimes against Syrians," al-Hariri said.        

UN-sponsored Syria talks began on Thursday (March 23) in Geneva for a fifth round with UN Deputy Envoy for Syria Ramzy Ezzeldin Ramzy holding preliminary meetings with both sides at their hotels.

Increased fighting in recent weeks despite a ceasefire brokered in December by Russia and Turkey casts further doubt on peacemaking efforts, where talks have made little progress in recent rounds.

Ramzy told reporters he had held "substantive discussions" with the Syrian opposition after earlier meeting with the Assad regime’s delegation.

Formal indirect talks and bilateral meetings between UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura and the sides are expect to begin on Friday, after de Mistura returns from a diplomatic trip to the region and Moscow.