De Mistura Continues His Meetings with Participants in Geneva Talks amid Disputes among “Opposition” Delegations

GENEVA, (ST)- The UN Chief’s Special Envoy for Syria Staffan De Mistura on Monday continued for the fifth day his meetings with delegations participating in the Intra-Syrian talks in Geneva.

He was due today to meet “opposition” representatives of Riyadh platform. Yesterday, he met the opposition representatives of Moscow and Cairo platforms.

On Saturday, de Mistura met the Syrian Arab Republic ‘s delegation to the talks.  Head of the delegation Bashar al-Jaafari said in a press conference following the meeting that the session of talks focused on one point only which is prioritizing fighting terrorism. 

 Al-Jaafari stressed that the blood of the Syrians is precious and those who shed it will pay dearly, in reference to the recent terrorist suicide bombings carried out by Jabhat al-Nusra terror organization and its partners against two security branches in the Syrian city of Homs.

He pointed out that he told de Mistura that the delegation was seeking  a common ground that opens the door for discussing different topics, stressing that al-Nusra’s goal behind the terrorist attacks was to derail the Geneva talks.

According to media sources, dispute continues among the opposition’s Riyadh platform and the other two platforms of Moscow and Cairo on the mechanism and shape of representation in one delegation.

Riyadh opposition group keeps insisting to be the sole representative and leader of opposition delegations which is something rejected by the other opposition groups.

Hamda Mustafa