22/10/2013 18:45
Syria meeting boosts peace talks
Syrian opposition leaders and the "Friends of Syria" group agree that planned peace talks in Geneva will aim to bring about a democratic transition for Syria in which President Bashar al-Assad plays no part, UK Foreign Secretary William Hague said Tuesday, according to CNN.
"We are clear that Syrian President Assad has no role in a peaceful and democratic Syria," he said.
Hague's words followed a Friends of Syria meeting that brought together foreign ministers from countries including the United States, Britain, France, Turkey and Gulf nations and Syrian opposition leaders.
It was aimed at bolstering the prospects for the peace talks in Geneva, Switzerland. They are expected to take place late next month, although no firm date has been set.
The proposed Geneva conference between Syrian government officials and opposition leaders, intended to broker an end to the country's civil war, has been delayed several times.
Hague said the Friends of Syria had pledged to support moderate Syrian opposition groups at the talks.
"Geneva offers the Syrian people the best hope to improve their lives," he said.
He said Ahmad al-Jarba, president of the Syrian National Coalition, a key opposition group, had spoken powerfully to the meeting about the Syrian people's suffering.