Syrian opposition wants direct negotiations with regime

The Syrian opposition wants to speak directly with the Assad regime delegation in order not to waste time as in the previous rounds, Al Jazeera reported.

A spokesman for the Syrian High Commission for Negotiations, Salim Al-Muslit, said the opposition delegation insists on direct negotiations with the regime to save time, adding that they want to participate seriously.

“There are many points we would like to ask, for example we want to know the United Nations’ position on developments carried out by the Syrian regime, and its allied militia and the Lebanese Hezbollah, on the ground,” he said.

Read: Syrian opposition says not yet ready to attend Astana talks

Indirect negotiations between the parties to the Syrian crisis will began yesterday.

A UN source told Al Jazeera that deputy UN special envoy to Syria, Ramzy Ezzeddin Ramzy, will meet with the delegations participating in the new round at their residence.

Ramzy began his meeting with the regime delegation headed by Bashar Al-Jaafari at his residence in Geneva, and was scheduled to meet the Syrian opposition delegation late yesterday.

The regime delegation and the opposition will meet separately with the UN Special Envoy to Syria, Staffan de Mistura, today at the United Nations Headquarters, following his return from Ankara where he met with a number of Turkish officials.