Brussels, 20/01/2014 (Agence Europe) - The EU fully supports the Geneva II peace conference on Syria to be held in Montreux on 22 January, the EU's foreign affairs ministers reiterated on 20 January. They called on all the parties to commit constructively in true negotiation. In its conclusions, the Council underlines that “the regime, as well as the opposition, must commit themselves to the full implementation of the communiqué [of Geneva I] as a matter of urgency, and demonstrate that commitment through their actions”. For the Council “it important throughout the Geneva process to also work on promoting confidence building measures that would directly benefit the local population and increase the chances of the conference's success” - measures such as agreements on local ceasefires, lifting of sieges on certain urban areas so to allow for improved humanitarian access, and the exchange of detainees.
Call on Iran to support the political transition. The ministers welcome the decision of the National Coalition of Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces (SOC) to participate in the conference and stand ready “to assist the opposition delegation led by the SOC in needs that might arise as part of the negotiation”.
However, the situation is more complicated. On 20 January, the coalition threatened to boycott the conference if Iran is invited. Several ministers called on Tehran to express its support for the Geneva I communiqué. It would help if Iran confirmed publicly that it will work on the basis of the Geneva I communiqué, said British Foreign Secretary William Hague. Participation in Geneva II is conditional upon the explicit acceptance of the objective of this conference, in other words the establishment of a transitional government in Syria with all the executive powers, said France's Foreign Affairs Minister Laurent Fabius, adding that it is clear that no country would be able to participate in this conference if is does not expressly accept the mandate.
Concerned about the spread of extremism and of extremist groups, the EU welcomes the SOC's condemnation of all forms of terrorism and extremism and of the moderate opposition's resistance to extremist groups. (CG/transl.fl)