Syrian government negotiators are expected to arrive in Switzerland on Wednesday for UN-backed talks aimed at ending the civil war, adamant that they will not tolerate any discussion of President Bashar al-Assad’s ouster. Damascus had initially refused to confirm it would attend the talks, which began on Tuesday, given the rebel opposition were maintaining their hardline stance on the president’s removal. Opposition representatives united in one delegation for the first time, met UN mediator Staffan de Mistura on Tuesday. The decision last week by Syrian opposition groups to send a single delegation to Geneva raised hopes of a possible breakthrough. A flexible opposition will likely help the UN’s peace push, which has been overshadowed by negotiations spearheaded by Moscow.

Source: Dhaka Tribune November 29, 2017 05:26 UTC