Syrian Negotiations Committee insists on Assad’s resignation

The Syrian Negotiations Committee (SNC) is confident that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad must resign, SNC delegation head Nasr al-Hariri said at a press conference on Friday.

"A person who destroyed Syria and is responsible for the death of many Syrians cannot remain in power," he said. "We share the international community’s common stance that peace in Syria should be restored based on the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2254. But we can’t let this man must be rewarded and continue presenting himself as a legitimate leader of the Syrian people," al-Hariri added.

On Friday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will hold a meeting with the SNC delegation. According to Russian Special Presidential Envoy for the Middle East and Africa, Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov, the parties are expected to discuss the situation in the Syrian province of Idlib, the separation of opposition members from terrorists and the formation of a Syrian constitutional committee.

Syrian Negotiations Committee spokesman Yahya al-Aridi told TASS earlier that the delegation intended to discuss the launch of a constitutional committee and the situation in Idlib with Lavrov.

The delegation led by al-Hariri last visited Moscow in January. Its members held meetings with the Russian top diplomat and Federation Council (upper house of parliament) Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Konstantin Kosachev.