Russia slams Riyadh talks as not representing entire Syria opp

Egypt’s Foreign Ministry has praised the outcome of Riyadh meeting, which grouped a vast range of Syria’s opposition groups.

Saudi Arabia hosted a three-day meeting of “moderate” Syrian opposition figures in hopes of forging a unified stance on how to end the ongoing conflict in war-torn Syria.

Delegates from Syrian opposition and rebel groups agreed in Riyadh on Thursday to bring together political and armed factions in a single body in preparation for possible peace talks with the government of President Bashar al-Assad.

Although Western leaders have recently said Assad can stay on as part of a transition for an unspecified time, SNC and other participants at the Riyadh meeting insisted he cannot be part of a transitional government.

Security was exceptionally tight at the hotel venue on Thursday.

Kerry, in separate statements earlier, told reporters that he had spoken to Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to organize the next Syria meeting, tentatively set for December 18 at the United Nations headquarters in NY. The talks are aimed at forming a unified front ahead of proposed peace talks with Assad’s government. The hotel entrance was blocked off to the general public by armored vehicles and dozens of security guards were stationed outside the building and in the lobby. Ahrar al-Sham, a large, al-Qaeda-linked faction, was at the talks, but walked out, and it’s unclear if they’ll be part of the committee.

The talks between Syrian opposition groups in Saudi Arabia this week called for an all-inclusive, democratic Syria and said Moscow’s regional ally President Bashar al-Assad should leave power at the start of a transitional period.