Hosted by the Saudi Arabia, the unprecedented talks between more than 100 representatives from armed and political opposition groups tried to unite the factions fighting against the Syrian government in the bloody conflict in which more than 250,000 people have been killed.
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The participants also issued a statement at the end of the meeting over the future negotiations, but called for President Assad and his aides to “quit power with the start of the transition period”, which was set at the Vienna talks in November.
The Riyadh talks, which started on Wednesday, come ahead of proposed peace negotiations between the Syrian opposition and al-Assad’s government.
But some of the delegates to the Riyadh meeting said it signed the final communiqué anyway, indicating possible rifts within the group itself.
“For us, in Syria, everyone who holds a machinegun is a terrorist”.
Foreign ministers of countries opposed to Mr Assad were due to meet in Paris on Monday to prepare for talks with Russian Federation and Middle Eastern countries in NY on Thursday with a specific focus on trying to form the opposition delegation for the peace talks.
Ahrar’s founders included militants with links to al Qaeda, though the group espouses a Syrian nationalist platform.
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State John Kerry, who is schedule to visit Moscow on Monday for discussions with Lavrov and possibly President Vladimir Putin, said he would talk to the Saudi’s about problems with the opposition and rebels’ position. The opposition and their armed rebels have repeatedly said there will be no role for al-Assad in the future of Syria.
This signifies “a big change” on behalf of the opposition, Ibrahim Hamidi, the Syria editor of the Saudi owned al-Hayat newspaper, told the BBC.
The groups were varied in ideology and support, and included representatives from the Western-backed Free Syrian Army, two Saudi-backed Sunni factions, and at least 25 representatives from the main opposition parties along with smaller opposition groups.
“As I said before, Bashar Assad has two solutions: Leave through negotiations, which is easier and better for all”.
Those talks, expected to take place next month, are part of a road map outlined by world and regional powers in Vienna to move closer to a political solution of a conflict now in its fifth year.
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Riyadh has been among those calling most strongly for Assad s departure and on Thursday Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir insisted again that he must leave.
