The Syrian government's chief negotiator said his team was pushing for an expanded government led by President Bashar al-Assad at U.N.-led peace talks, and Assad's own future was not up for negotiation.
Syrian government's head of delegation Bashar al-Jaafari attends a news
conference after a meeting on Syria at the European headquarters of the
United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, April 18, 2016. REUTERS/Denis
Balibouse
U.N. Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura (3rd L) attends a
meeting with the High Negotiations Committee (HNC) delegation at Palais
des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, April 18, 2016. REUTERS/Xu
Jinquan/Pool
Syrian government's head of delegation Bashar al-Jaafari attends a news
conference after a meeting on Syria at the European headquarters of the
United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, April 18, 2016. REUTERS/Denis
Balibouse
AMMAN: The Syrian government's chief negotiator said his
team was pushing for an expanded government led by President Bashar
al-Assad at U.N.-led peace talks, and Assad's own future was not up for
negotiation.
Bashar Ja'afari told Lebanese TV news channel al Maydeen the
larger government they wanted would preserve all the country's existing
institutions.
"In Geneva we have one mandate only to arrive at an expanded
national government only, this is our mandate ... this is the goal we
strive to achieve in the Geneva peace talks," Ja'afari said in comments
broadcast overnight.
The Western-backed Syrian mainstream opposition decided on
Monday to take a pause in peace talks saying the Syrian government was
not serious about moving towards a U.N.-backed political process they
say would bring a transitional governing body with full executive powers
without Assad.
(Reporting by Suleiman Al-Khalidi; Editing by Andrew Heavens)
- Reuters
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