Syrian opposition calls for direct talks with government

Syria’s main opposition group, the so-called High Negotiations Committee (HNC), has announced that it wants face-to-face negotiations with the Syrian government.

“We ask for direct negotiations… It would save time and be proof of seriousness instead of negotiating in (separate) rooms,” said HNC spokesman Salem al-Meslet on Wednesday on the eve of a new round of peace talks in Geneva.
The HNC serves as an umbrella group for militants and opponents of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

“We are here to negotiate… Let’s start with direct negotiations,” he added, while stressing that the talks should focus on establishing a transitional government in Syria.

Last week, the United Nations reversed its position on the issue of “political transition” in the upcoming round of peace talks.