After Homs deal, Geneva talks to focus on Syria power transfer
UN mediator Lakhdar Brahimi, who has said that the negotiations were a `slow process`, hoped that on Monday the main topic of Syria`s future government will feature at the talks today.
Written By Supriya Jha|Last Updated: Jan 27, 2014, 04:52 PM IST|Source: Exclusive
Zee Media Report
Geneva: A day after Geneva talks brought forth the agreement on Homs allowing women and children to leave the besieged areas of the town, the two rival sides are set to meet vis-à-vis on Monday again and are expected to discuss the key issue of Bashar al-Assad and political transition in the strife-stricken country, reports said.
UN mediator Lakhdar Brahimi, who has said that the negotiations were a `slow process`, hoped that on Monday the main topic of Syria`s future government will feature at the talks today, when he will meet with the representatives of Syrian opposition and the government for the third time.
Earlier, the UN mediator met the two sides on Saturday and Sunday morning after which an agreement on Homs was reached.
Brahimi said that the women and children trapped in the besieged part of the town of Homs were free to leave immediately.
However, Syrian Deputy foreign Minister said that men would be allowed to leave only after it was confirmed that they were not terrorists - a term the Syrian regime uses for the armed opposition members.
Brahimi added that it was "too early" to deliberate on any prospective deal, however he hoped that Monday might be a significant day when the two sides have a word on the
"way forward", reported the BBC.
Brahimi also said that the humanitarian aid convoy of UN and Red Cross would now be allowed access to the embattled town of Homs.
Regarding Monday`s talks, the Syrian opposition spokesperson said that it will show if the government was willing to negotiate.
Monday wills see us the two sides talking about a transition from "dictatorship to democracy", he said.
Meanwhile, Mekdad reiterated the government`s stance on Assad as President, saying "This is a red line. If some people think we are coming here to give them the keys of Damascus they are wrong".
Both the sides, so far, have remained adamant on their stance on Assad, with the opposition raking up Geneva I communique and wanting the regime to commit to it.
However the Syrian government is ready to debate on the communiqué agreed upon in June 2012,with an adviser to Assad, saying that it was not "Quran" or any "Gospel" and it should be debated as the times have changed.
Geneva Communiqué of 2012 calls for a political transition in Syria.
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