Kerry `confident` Syria rebels will join peace talks

Paris: The US on Sunday voiced confidence that Syria`s opposition National Coalition group would attend upcoming peace talks in Switzerland with representatives of Bashar al-Assad`s regime.

"I am confident personally that the Syrian opposition will come to Geneva," US Secretary of State John Kerry said after a Paris meeting of the 11-nation "Friends of Syria" group attended by Coalition leader Ahmad Jarba. "It was a very constructive meeting today (with Jarba). I am confident that he and others will be in Geneva. I am counting on both parties to come together." The upbeat tone contrasted with the more cautious note struck by other ministers involved in today`s talks, which marked the start of a new round of diplomacy aimed at ending the conflict. Kerry is due to meet tomorrow with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov and the UN-Arab League envoy on Syria, Lakhdar Brahimi, as well as holding further talks with Jarba. Kerry`s comments came after Jarba`s coalition was offered assurances that there will be no place for Assad in a transitional government they hope to see emerge from the so-called Geneva II talks due to start in Montreux on January 22. In a statement, the Friends of Syria group said that once a transitional government is established .... "Assad and his close associates with blood on their hands will have no role in Syria." The Swiss talks have been organised in an attempt to revive the idea of moving to a transitional government including figures from the current regime and the opposition. Whether that could involve Assad himself is an issue that has generally been fudged in the past and may have the potential to capsize the negotiations: Assad`s aides have repeatedly said they have no intention of coming to Switzerland to hand over power. Kerry would not be drawn on what would happen if Assad pulled out of the talks. "With respect to the Assad regime we have been told from day one they allegedly are prepared to negociate," he said.