The five permanent members of the council – the U.S. Russia, the U.K., France and China – agreed on the draft text of the resolution during Friday’s third International Syria Support Group meeting in NY.
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“He has lost legitimacy in the eyes of the country”.
“Purely as a matter of reality, if the war is to end it is imperative that the Syrian people agree to an alternative in terms of their governance”, he said. The talks between Syria’s government and opposition should begin in early January, the resolution said.
The delegation will be based on a series of meetings of Assad opponents, most recently in Riyadh this month, Lavrov said.
“How could somebody bring together a whole people when he has massacred so many?”.
“There must be safeguards regarding the exit of Bashar al-Assad”, declared Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius. Syrian Ambassador Bashar Ja’afari said Mr Assad’s government was prepared to take part in the talks in good faith.
The resolution, which comes at a summit of 17 foreign ministers in NY, rubber-stamps a plan agreed on in Vienna last month that would lead to the establishment of a transitional government in Syria within six months and new elections within 18 months.
A Syrian rebel fighter, reportedly belonging to the Faylaq al-Rahman brigade, holds a position durin …
The Syrian civil war, now in its fifth year, has left more than 250,000 victims dead and made the country the world’s single-largest source of refugees and displaced people, according to United Nations figures.
There is also disagreement over which opposition groups should form part of the negotiations.
“CHAMPIONS OF DEMOCRACY” During a break in Friday’s talks, Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh said he had presented a document compiling the groups each country attending considered to be a “terrorist” organisation”.
The resolution acknowledges that the peace process will not end the conflict because it bars “terrorist groups” operating in the country, including the Islamic State and al-Nusra Front, from participating in a cease-fire.
“The initial work has been done”. Each country sent its own view.
Meanwhile, Syria’s main opposition group, the Syrian National Coalition, warned that earlier worldwide hopes for a ceasefire by January 1 were unrealistic.
Najib Ghadbian, the SNC’s envoy to the United Nations, said opposition groups need “a month or so” to prepare for the political talks that would begin in tandem with a ceasefire.
Assad turned sarcastic when asked whether he was comforted that Washington’s stance on his departure had seemingly softened. “I had to leave, but now I can stay”, he joked. At the same time, diplomats worked to overcome divisions on the text of the resolution.
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“Shiism was not native to Nigeria as it is now; the appeal of the Islamic Revolution and Islamic Awakening which are championed by Iran, had a critical factor in channeling the minds and hearts of millions of people to the cause represented by Imam Khomeini (RA) and the Leader of the Islamic Revolution; their numbers soared in that they could organize Arbaeen rallies in streets”, Velayati detailed.
