Syrian opposition leader rejects Moscow talks with regime
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 10 January 2015 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Syrian opposition leader rejects Moscow talks with regime, 10 January 2015, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/54be145815.html [accessed 1 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
January 10, 2015
A key Syrian opposition official says he has rejected a Russian invitation to peace talks in Moscow with Syrian government officials.
Moaz al-Khatib, the former leader of the main opposition Syrian National Coalition who now heads his own movement, said on his Facebook page on January 9 "the necessary conditions" for a talks have not yet been met.
Khatib – who attended talks with Syrian officials in November – noted the shelling by the government of President Bashar al-Assad of opposition areas in Syria as a reason to refuse the Moscow offer for talks later this month.
Khatib's statement comes four days after Syrian National Coalition head Khalid Khoja rejected Moscow's offer.
A key ally of Assad, Russia invited 28 Syrian opposition figures to the talks.
The Syrian civil war has killed more than 200,000 people since it started in 2011.
Based on reporting by AFP and Interfax
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
