RIYADH — An official source at the Saudi Foreign Ministry expressed the Kingdom's support for the decision of the Higher Negotiation Committee (HNC) of the Syrian opposition to participate in the Geneva talks. The decision taken after their meeting in Riyadh says that HNC will take part in the talks with the aim of implementing all provisions of the UN Security Council Resolution (2254) based on the assurances from the UN and the majority of the Vienna Group. The official source said that Saudi Arabia supports the Syrian opposition, political solution based on the principles of the Geneva Declaration 1 as guaranteed by the UN Security Council Resolution (2254), the formation of a transition authority for managing the country's affairs, drafting a new constitution for Syria and supervising the elections for a new Syria where there will be no place for Bashar Al-Assad. A delegation from Syria's main opposition group flew to Geneva on Saturday to assess whether to join Damascus government officials in UN-brokered peace talks, an opposition representative said. The 17-strong team include the head of the Higher Negotiation Committee (HNC). The HNC has said it wants to discuss humanitarian issues including a stop to Russian and Syrian government bombing before engaging in the peace talks that started on Friday in Geneva. "We are going to Geneva to put to the test the seriousness of the international community in its promises to the Syrian people and to also test the seriousness of the regime in implementing its humanitarian obligations," Riyad Naasan Agha said. "We want to show the world our seriousness in moving toward negotiations to find a political solution," he told Reuters. Agha said the opposition delegation, including HNC head Riad Hijab and chief negotiator Asaad al-Zoubi, would not call for a complete cessation of hostilities but would demand an end to "the indiscriminate shelling of markets, hospitals and schools by the regime and its Russian backers". — With agencies
