Syrian opposition to meet government for talks in early January

The opposition groups in Riyadh also called on the United Nations and worldwide community “to force the Syrian regime to implement goodwill measures before the negotiation process begins”.

In a statement issued at the end of the two-day expanded meeting of the opposition groups and revolutionary factions, the Syrian political and armed opposition groups agreed that Assad and his aides must step down with the start of a transition period set out last month by top diplomats.

US Secretary of State John Kerry welcomed the declaration.

Assad said in the interview that Saudi Arabia, the United States and some Western countries want “terrorist groups” to join peace negotiations to try end Syria’s civil war.

But it remains unclear whether the talks will go ahead because of continued disagreements among world powers over their composition and goal.

“The aim of the political settlement is to create a state based on the principle of citizenship without Bashar al-Assad or figures of his regime having a place in it or any future political arrangements”, the group said.

Those must be addressed if a planned high-level diplomatic conference is to be held as scheduled at the United Nations later this month.

Syrian President Bashar Assad says his government will not negotiate with armed groups, calling them “terrorists”. The committee is reportedly going to be dominated by armed factions.

But divisions and obstacles remain. A spokesman for the group inside Syria confirmed the statement.

Islamist rebel group Ahrar al-Sham withdrew from the Riyadh talks, citing under-representation at the gathering.

The talks yielded calls among opposition groups for a democratic, all-inclusive Syria, Reuters reported. Internal opposition groups disagree, as do Assad’s key backers, Tehran and Moscow.

Several opposition sources later said Ahrar al-Sham returned to the conference, but the group did not confirm the move.

Meanwhile, Islamic State claimed a triple truck bomb attack that killed dozens of people in a part of northeastern Syria where Kurdish YPG forces have been pushing back the Islamist militants in recent weeks.

“For us, in Syria, everyone who holds a machinegun is a terrorist”.

“I never thought about leaving Syria under any circumstances, in any situation, something I never put in my mind”, he said when asked if he would step down as part of a political solution.

“The real test for the government, ” Hillo said, is whether “it will give civilians a peace dividend, ” meaning resuming services and allowing humanitarian access.

“This should be taken as an opportunity to show that the state cares about its people, ” Hillo added, “and not repeat what we have seen”.