The Syrian opposition urges Russia to salvage the UN’s peace talks in Geneva by persuading the Syrian government delegation finally to begin direct face-to-face discussions, The Guardian reports.
Basma Kodami, a leading member of the Syrian opposition negotiating team, urged the Russians to show they wanted to capitalize on the end of military operations in Syria by building a lasting peace.
The opposition was not seeking President Bashar al-Assad’s removal from office as a precondition for talks, she said, but his departure remained its objective.