Syrian opposition ready to go to Geneva 2 without preliminary conditions - French diplomat
NEW YORK. July 26 (Interfax) - Representatives of the Syrian opposition intend to participate in the Geneva 2 conference in order to resolve the conflict in Syria, Permanent Representative of France to the UN Gerard Aro said on Friday.
"They [Syrian opposition activists] told us that they were ready to go to Geneva," Aro said following a meeting with representatives of the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces at the UN Security Council.
Opposition activists did not set preliminary conditions for their participation in the Geneva conference, Aro said.
Namely the Syrian authorities set conditions insisting that President Bashar al-Assad must stay at power, the French diplomat said.
"Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem said that Assad must stay in power and this is a condition," Aro said.
The agreements reached at the first Geneva conference stipulate establishing an interim government to which all executive powers will go, Aro said.
"This means that al-Assad will not have any power after the interim government is established," Aro said.