Russian Federation says Riyadh talks do not speak for entire Syrian opposition

Repairing damaged shops at the covered market in the old city of Homs, Syria on Tuesday.

Syria’s political and armed opposition agreed to meet with the Assad regime for talks seeking a political solution to the conflict next month announced the chair of the opposition groups conference in Saudi Arabia.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry says there are “kinks” in a framework agreed to by rival Syrian opposition groups for peace talks that must be worked.

“It is not in line with the Vienna talks”, Amirabdollahian said. However, the final copy of the meeting statement was signed by Ahrar al-Sham, Reuters reported.

The Saudi conference ended with an agreement on confirming a committee to seek talks, though they have demanded Assad unconditionally be removed as part of any deal.

Following talks in Saudi Arabia, they’ll be negotiating with the Syrian government next month – but insist President Bashar al-Assad must leave before a transition starts. It also committed to preserving state institutions.

“They want the Syrian government to negotiate with the terrorists, something I don’t think anyone would accept in any country”, Assad added.

The largest bloc at the meeting, with around 20 delegates, is the Western-backed opposition group known as the Syrian National Coalition.

A picture provided by the Saudi Press Agency on December 10, 2015 shows members of the Syrian opposi … They established a “supreme council” made up of 32 opposition members and representatives of rebel factions that would later pick the 15 people who would negotiate on behalf of the opposition.

Mr. Jubeir said the Riyadh convention aimed to put the opposition in a “stronger position” by agreeing on shared principles.

Among those left out of the Riyadh meeting was Syria’s predominant Kurdish party, whose armed wing has coordinated closely with the United States to fight the Islamic State. But the statement says he would be allowed to stay until a transitional government was formed. Numerous rebels have received support from outside powers to topple Assad. The meeting would serve as a follow-up to the Vienna talks.

Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian said groups linked to IS were attending.

Such designations among rebel fighters, as well as the question of Mr. Assad’s future, are likely to be the main points of contention going forward.