JEDDAH: Any sidelining of the peace process from the Geneva track is a diversion of world attention from finding a peaceful solution to the Syrian crisis, the Syrian opposition told Arab News on Saturday.
Yahya Al-Aridi, spokesman of the opposition, said the Syrian National Dialogue is mentioned in the UN Resolution 2254, “but the party in charge of carrying that out is the transitional governing body, not Russia or any other party.”
And it takes place, said Al-Aridi, after the transitional governing body is established and a suitable environment is found.
He was reacting after Russian President Vladimir Putin told his Syrian counterpart Bashar Assad in a new year’s greeting on Saturday that Russia would continue supporting the regime’s efforts “to defend its sovereignty.”
Putin stressed that Russia would “continue to render every assistance to Syria in the protection of state sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity, in the promotion of a political settlement process, as well as in efforts to restore the national economy,” the Kremlin said.
Syrian opposition groups have rejected Russia’s planned Sochi conference on Syria, saying Moscow is seeking to bypass the UN-based Geneva peace process.
Al-Aridi said that jumping over to Sochi is demeaning UN resolutions and the Geneva process, and that it amounts to playing games with Syrians and the world.
“If this is the strategy of Russia — especially when it preconditioned Sochi by making transition or talking about Assad impermissible — how could Putin or his conference be trusted?” Al-Aridi remarked.
He said there is a massive popular Syrian wave of rejection of the Sochi congress, and that the Syrians are calling for conferences all over the world.
“The Geneva track is the road to implementing UN resolutions and bringing peace to Syria,” said Al-Aridi.
Opposition questions Russia’s role in Syria resolution
Opposition questions Russia’s role in Syria resolution
