GENEVA:
Talks to end Syria's brutal five-year conflict were rattled Thursday by uncertainty surrounding
the arrival of a second opposition group and the declaration by Syria's Kurds of an autonomous region.
U.N. mediator Staffan de Mistura met for the first time late Wednesday with an umbrella delegation including
the so-called Moscow Group, which is demanding an equal seat at the negotiating table in Geneva.
But such a move would be hotly contested by the "official" opposition High Negotiations Committee (HNC) - a broad collection
of political and armed opposition factions which joined forces in Riyadh last December.
The HNC is due to have a second official meeting with de Mistura Thursday, where it is expected to insist
on its demand to remain the sole opposition representative in the talks.
"That is one of the most important points," a Western diplomat told AFP, requesting anonymity.
The entry into the talks of the Moscow Group, along with the so-called Cairo and Istana groups, followed Russia's surprise
decision this week to withdraw most of its forces from Syria, where they had been fighting in support of President Bashar Assad.
Western governments had voiced hopes the pullout, expected to be completed by the end of the week, could boost the talks by pressuring Assad.
In Geneva, it was not immediately clear what impact the inclusion of the pro-Moscow group would have on the talks,
or whether it was a gesture from de Mistura to Russia following the pullout.
- 'Negotiating delegation' -
The U.N. has not yet clarified what role the Moscow Group would play but its co-president Randa Kassis
told reporters Wednesday her camp was in Geneva "as a negotiating delegation".
Jihad Makdissi, a member of the Cairo group, told AFP Thursday: "We will sit at the table as two (opposition) delegations," adding that
de Mistura had agreed to meet again with the new delegation in the coming days.
The Moscow Group is tolerated by Damascus and has not insisted on Assad's departure as a condition for creating a transitional government,
which is an unequivocal HNC demand.
The HNC and the Western powers that support it meanwhile insist only one opposition delegation and one government delegation can actually negotiate.
The Moscow Group has no troops on the ground in Syria, and is being put forward to "support the idea that there is no united
opposition and to cast doubt on HNC's legitimacy," the Western diplomat said, adding that
adding a second opposition delegation was "a highly contentious issue."
Adding another level of complexity to the difficult talks, Kurdish parties so far excluded from
the negotiations in Geneva on Thursday declared a federal region in areas under their control in northern Syria, as they seek further autonomy.
A wide range of critics have warned this could threaten efforts to forge a united Syria.
And a possible solution.. ( by Administrator )
The European funds could be utilized to realize a large size European' "enclave" in Syria.
But Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday his country could ramp up its presence again if needed "literally within several hours".
The European enclave could be a way to invest money and know-how in Syria under the direct management of the European' institutions.
No money to Erdogan, more money to the Syrian' population and for the Syrian' freedom..
