Tamer Khaled
Under the auspices of the UN, and co-chaired by Russia and the United States, the third round of Geneva negotiations will be held On the 13th of this month, between the delegations of the Syrian government and the opposition .
A round that comes amid significant violations of the "cessation of hostilities" agreement, particularly on Aleppo's fronts and while the battles between the Syrian regime and "ISIS" still take place in the Syrian desert.
The second round of negotiations ended with a draft document of principles issued by the international envoy to Syria Staffan de Mistura
And according to news agencies, the Syrian opposition High Negotiations Committee (HNC) stands with U.N. Special Envoy to Syria Staffan deMistura’s statements that Geneva III will focus on a political solution.
“The Assad regime needs to understand and accept the UN and international community’s message: these talks focus on a political transition,” said HNC Spokesman Salem al-Meslet.
“Stability cannot come through endless conflict under the Assad regime. An end to the bloodshed will come through a political settlement, in which ‘the Syrian people alone shall determine the future of their country by democratic means,’ as Mr. deMistura stated in his paper at the conclusion of the last round,” al-Meslet said.
The HNC also welcomed Mr. de Mistura’s announcement of the resumption of Geneva III in Geneva on 13th April, and is currently meeting in Riyadh to discuss the Geneva talks.
“The HNC is dedicated to a political solution to end the five years of bloodshed in Syria, and strongly supports Mr. DeMistura’s focus on a real beginning to a political transition,” said HNC Spokesman Salem al-Meslet.
During the break in the Geneva talks, the Assad regime forces increased indiscriminate attacks on civilian areas, continuing to violate the cessation of hostilities agreement by conducting offensive operations.
In Eastern Ghouta, the regime is committing massacres against civilians. Last week, warplanes struck a hospital, a school and two Civil Defense buildings in the besieged area, marking the biggest crime to date committed against town residents. The attacks killed 31, all civilians including 12 children and nine women.
“The regime’s attacks against civilians have increased between the rounds of talks. Their airstrikes are nothing short of barbaric,” al-Meslet said. “Our people are suffering, and have been suffering for far too long. We ask the United Nations and our friends in the international community for support in ensuring the Geneva talks focus on the only way to relieve the pain: a political solution.”
Observers expect that the next round to be unfruitful , especially that the Syrian regime delegation consists of persons who don’t possess any real power to put pressure on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad or his regime.
Observers added that the Syrian regime is using the negotiations to gain more time to achieve military progress on the ground, which will enhance its negotiating position, while the opposition is trying to find a political solution that alleviates the suffering of the Syrian people, a breakthrough that doesn't include Al Assad nor his regime, and ends a gruesome war that cultivated the lives of hundreds of thousands and displaced millions .
It is noteworthy that the Syrian opposition delegation is composed of seventeen members, including representatives of Syrian National Coalition Of Syrian Revolution and Opposition Forces, military factions, and the National Coordination Body for Democratic Change (NCB) and independent opponents.
