HE the Foreign Minister Dr Khalid bin Mohamed al-Attiyah yesterday welcomed the participation of the Syrian National Coalition in the Geneva II meeting. Al-Attiyah said “participation of the coalition in the meeting is a courageous step towards realising the aspirations of the Syrian people and ending their plight”.
In a statement to the official Qatar News Agency, he said the coalition’s decision put the entire world, especially the Friends of Syria group, “before their historic responsibilities to implement the demands of the Syrian people for living in dignity and freedom”.
He expressed the hope that the Geneva II meeting would produce a road map for political transition in Syria “in accordance with the understanding of the Friends of Syria of the Geneva 1 requirements and the regime would not be given the opportunity to buy more time and to continue the war of genocide against the Syrian people”.
Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates also gave their backing yesterday to the decision by Syria’s main opposition to join Geneva peace talks.
“In support of the rights of the Syrian people to decide their own future and defend themselves against the Syrian regime’s crimes,” Saudi Arabia and the UAE “welcome the decision by the National Coalition to take part in Geneva II”, they said a joint statement.
Both Gulf states however “affirm at the same time that Geneva II must aim to put an end to the Syrian people’s sufferings through creating a real political change in which (President Bashar al-Assad’s) regime will have no role”.
