Syria’s main opposition group says it rejects any role for Syrian president Bashar Al Assad both post-war and in any UN-sponsored interim period leading to a political transition.
The opposition met in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, with the aim of outlining a unified vision before UN peace talks in Geneva next week.
“The participants stressed that this (the transition) cannot happen without the departure of Bashar al Assad and his clique at the start of the interim period,” said the communique issued after the meeting.
It went on to say the participants support a UN-based political process that allows Syria to undergo "a radical political transition" from an "authoritarian system" to a democracy where free elections would be upheld.They also blamed the Syrian government for the lack of progress in past talks held in Geneva.
More than 140 representatives from a broad spectrum of the mainstream opposition attended the meeting, including independents and Free Syrian Army military factions.
The statement comes as Russia’s president won the backing of Iran and Turkey to host a Syrian peace congress.
Vladimir Putin hosted Hassan Rouhani, the Iranian president, and the Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the Black Sea resort of Sochi on Wednesday. The Russian leader has taken a central role in a major diplomatic push to end the civil war in Syria.
Igor Sutyagin, senior research fellow at the Royal Institute for Defence and Security Studies (RUSI) says the congress is a "tactical move" on the part of Mr Putin. He told The National, “The Syrian peace congress will not bring an answer to all questions of the conflict.Russia wants to get rid of any competitors in Syria/ in order to secure its previously diminished place in the region... and restore its influence as a world-class power in the Middle East and North Africa.”
The Sochi announcement also came a few days after Mr Putin met with Mr Al Assad, an indication that the Syrian leader had agreed to the idea. But there was no word from the leaders on who would be invited.
The issue is certainly a sticking point, with Turkey adamantly opposed to Syrian Kurdish groups attending or taking part in negotiations, while at the same time supporting Syria's territorial unity.
“The three organisers do not agree among themselves” Mr Sutyagin said. “For example Turkey wants to wipe out the Kurds. However, Moscow wants to have a card against Turkey, but they also don’t want to abandon and lose the support of the Kurds.”
Mahir Unal, spokesman for Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party, said Ankara was concerned about the prospect of the Syrian opposition - which Turkey has always supported - negotiating with President Al Assad "after all these deaths." But it is even more concerned about any potential threat from Syrian Kurds linking up with the Kurds in Turkey.
In response, Moscow said, "We know that there are certain reservations on the part of our Turkish partners with regards to the forces they believe pose a threat to their national security."
In Sochi, Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov said agreement on who will take part in the congress would require "intense expert work." He gave no date for the congress beyond saying it would convene "in the near future."
But Mr Sutyagin said the Russian president is more concerned about organising a successful congress than finding a solution to the conflict.”
Meanwhile, Iran — a longtime supporter of Mr Al Assad - will try to turn its hard power and success on the ground into political capital, said Adnan Tabatabai, head of Carpo, a think tank based in Germany.
He told The National, "[Iran wants] to ensure that the political reality of Syria’s future will appreciate Iran’s role in defeating ISIL and other terrorist groups.It is trying to highlight what Mohammad Javad Zarif [Iran’s foreign minister] once introduced as the four-point plan for Syria comprising a ceasefire, national unity government, constitutional reform and elections. Iran wants to support any upcoming peace congress and relate that to its own 4-point plan.
“Mr Rouhani made it clear in Sochi that Iran supports the inner Syrian dialogue. He also said there is no future for foreign actors in Syria unless the Syrian government calls for it so it leaves a back door open for an Iranian presence in Syria.”
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A new relationship with the old country
Treaty of Friendship between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates
The United kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates; Considering that the United Arab Emirates has assumed full responsibility as a sovereign and independent State; Determined that the long-standing and traditional relations of close friendship and cooperation between their peoples shall continue; Desiring to give expression to this intention in the form of a Treaty Friendship; Have agreed as follows:
ARTICLE 1 The relations between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates shall be governed by a spirit of close friendship. In recognition of this, the Contracting Parties, conscious of their common interest in the peace and stability of the region, shall: (a) consult together on matters of mutual concern in time of need; (b) settle all their disputes by peaceful means in conformity with the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations.
ARTICLE 2 The Contracting Parties shall encourage education, scientific and cultural cooperation between the two States in accordance with arrangements to be agreed. Such arrangements shall cover among other things: (a) the promotion of mutual understanding of their respective cultures, civilisations and languages, the promotion of contacts among professional bodies, universities and cultural institutions; (c) the encouragement of technical, scientific and cultural exchanges.
ARTICLE 3 The Contracting Parties shall maintain the close relationship already existing between them in the field of trade and commerce. Representatives of the Contracting Parties shall meet from time to time to consider means by which such relations can be further developed and strengthened, including the possibility of concluding treaties or agreements on matters of mutual concern.
ARTICLE 4 This Treaty shall enter into force on today’s date and shall remain in force for a period of ten years. Unless twelve months before the expiry of the said period of ten years either Contracting Party shall have given notice to the other of its intention to terminate the Treaty, this Treaty shall remain in force thereafter until the expiry of twelve months from the date on which notice of such intention is given.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned have signed this Treaty.
DONE in duplicate at Dubai the second day of December 1971AD, corresponding to the fifteenth day of Shawwal 1391H, in the English and Arabic languages, both texts being equally authoritative.
Signed
Geoffrey Arthur Sheikh Zayed
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India (for first three ODIs) Kohli (capt), Rohit, Rahul, Pandey, Jadhav, Rahane, Dhoni, Pandya, Axar, Kuldeep, Chahal, Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar, Umesh, Shami.
Australia Smith (capt), Warner, Agar, Cartwright, Coulter-Nile, Cummins, Faulkner, Finch, Head, Maxwell, Richardson, Stoinis, Wade, Zampa.