Gulf States call for Syrian opposition to attend Geneva II

The foreign ministers of the Gulf States have said that the discussions about peace in Syria, slated to take place in January, need to result in deciding a specific time frame for forming the new Syrian government.

They also reiterated that no opposition parties should take part in the discussions except the Syrian National Coalition.

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The head of the coalition, Ahmed Al-Jarba, announced on Wednesday that the coalition would indeed be participating in the Geneva II conference. He said that the aim of the coalition’s participation is to put an end to the civil war in Syria.

Al-Jarba stressed that President Bashar Al-Assad must not have any role in the future of Syria, pointing out that: “It is illogical for the person who is responsible for destroying the country to be given responsibility for reconstructing it.”

The foreign ministers affirmed the importance of reinforcing international support for the opposition, represented by the Syrian National Coalition, at the Geneva II conference.

They said that this conference has to put forward a limited timetable for forming a transitional government that enjoys all executive authority, in accordance with the final statement of Geneva I, which was held on 30 January 2012.