Iran has “never endorsed the Geneva I communique” which calls for a transitional government in Syria and “we expect the invitation will be rescinded,” a senior State Department official said.
The United States earlier said the United Nations should withdraw the invitation unless Iran, a key backer of President Bashar al-Assad, gives “explicit” support to the conference aim of setting up a transitional government in Syria.
“The United States views the U.N. secretary general’s invitation to Iran to attend the upcoming Geneva conference as conditioned on Iran’s explicit and public support for the full implementation of the Geneva communique,” U.S. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said in a statement.
“This is something Iran has never done publicly and something we have long made clear is required.”
The surprise invitation of Iran further angered the Syrian opposition, already bitterly divided over the planned conference.
The opposition Syrian National Coalition (SNC) said it will only attend the talks if the United Nations withdraws its invitation to Iran by 19:00 GMT.
U.N. leader Ban Ki-moon said Iran had pledged to play a “positive and constructive role” in efforts to end Syria’s civil war.
The SNC had only decided on Saturday to attend the conference and talks between Assad’s government and the opposition are due to start in Geneva on Friday.
Spokesman Louay Safi announced on the coalition’s Twitter account that the opposition group would withdraw “unless Ban Ki-moon retracts Iran’s invitation.”
Ban told a news conference he extended a late invitation after intense talks over two days with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.
“Foreign Minister Zarif and I agree that the goal of the negotiations is to establish, by mutual consent, a transitional governing body with full executive powers,” Ban told reporters.
“He assured me again and again that Iran, if they are invited, then they will play a very positive and constructive role,” the U.N. secretary-general added.
The United States and other Western powers had opposed Iran’s attendance at the meeting as long as it refused to accept a communique adopted by the major powers in Geneva on June 30, 2012, calling for a transitional government in Syria.
Washington made a new call for a clear signal from Tehran, a financial and military supporter of Assad, that it back efforts to set up a transitional government.
Following the dramatic series of events, Iran said it will attend Syrian peace talks this week in Switzerland but without preconditions, foreign ministry spokeswoman Marzieh Afkham told the official IRNA news agency.
“Based on the official invitation, Iran will participate in this conference without any preconditions,” Afkham was quoted as saying.
Up until Ban’s announcement, Iran had only said it would go to the peace talks if there was an invitation without conditions.
Ban, who had joined Russia in supporting Tehran’s presence, said he expected some kind of statement by the Iranian government.
“I believe strongly that Iran needs to be part of the solution to the Syrian crisis,” he said.
Meanwhile, France said on Monday Iran should not be allowed to attend Syria peace talks in Switzerland later this week if it does not accept the creation of a transitional government with full executive powers.
“Participation in Geneva 2 is the explicit acceptance of this mandate,” Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said in a statement. “Under these conditions and in the interest of peace, it is clear that no country can participate in this conference if it does specifically accept this mandate.”
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2014/01/20/Syria-peace-talks-hit-snag-over-Iran-invite.html
20/1/14
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Saudi Arabia: Iran ‘not eligible’ to attend Syria talks ...
ReplyDeleteSaudi Arabia said on Monday Iran was not eligible to attend the Geneva 2 peace talks on Syria, following the U.N. invite to Tehran to attend the conference later this week.
"Iran is not eligible to attend. Inviting any party to the Geneva 2 talks is dependent on their support of a transitional government,” a statement from the Saudi government read, broadcast by Al Arabiya News Channel.
“Iran has not voiced its support for a transitional Syrian government and has troops fighting alongside [Syrian President Bashar] al-Assad," the statement added.
The Syrian opposition threatened on Sunday to pull out from upcoming peace talks with global powers and the Syrian regime after the U.N. invited Iran to attend the conference.
U.N. leader Ban Ki-moon said Iran had pledged in the talks, due to start on Wednesday in the Swiss town of Montreux, to play a “positive and constructive role” in efforts to end Syria’s civil war.................http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2014/01/20/Saudi-Arabia-Iran-not-eligible-to-attend-Syria-talks-.html
20/1/14
Syria Peace Talks Will Be a Sham Without Iran – Russia...
DeleteMOSCOW, January 20 (RIA Novosti) – This week’s peace talks in Geneva on the ongoing conflict in Syria will be a sham without Iran’s participation, Russia’s foreign minister said Monday as the main Syrian opposition group threatened to boycott talks attended by the Iranians.
“Forty countries have been invited to the Geneva 2 talks … And if Iran is excluded from the list then the conference will resemble something profane,” Sergei Lavrov said.
“Iran, of course, along with Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states, Turkey, Egypt and Iraq, is one of the countries interested in resolving the situation without further damaging the stability of this important region of the world.”
Ban Ki-moon, the UN Secretary General, announced Sunday at a news conference that an invitation from the UN to attend the conference had been extended to Iran.
The Syrian National Coalition, the country’s Western-backed opposition group, said Monday it would not attend if representatives from Iran were at the meeting.
The United States insisted that Iran has failed to meet the requirements for participants, which include supporting the establishment of a transitional government.
“If Iran does not fully and publicly accept the Geneva communique, the invitation must be rescinded,” the US State Department said in a statement Sunday.
The US reiterated its concerns about Iran’s continuing support of Syrian President Bashar Assad’s regime.
The talks are scheduled to begin Wednesday in Montreux before moving to Geneva. Representatives from several dozen countries as well as the EU, UN, Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation are expected to attend.
http://en.ria.ru/world/20140120/186731850/Syria-Peace-Talks-Will-Be-a-Sham-Without-Iran--Russia.html
20/1/14
Syrien-Konferenz: Opposition stellt UNO Ultimatum ....
ReplyDeleteDie syrische Oppositon droht mit Boykott. Auch die USA sind über die UN-Einladung für Assads engsten Verbündeten in der Region überrascht.
Die Friedenskonferenz für Syrien steht zwei Tage vor ihrer geplanten Eröffnung wieder auf der Kippe. Die syrische Exil-Opposition stellte Montagnachmittag UN-Generalsekretär Ban Ki-moon ein Ultimatum: Er habe bis 20.00 Uhr Zeit, seine Einladung an den Iran, ebenfalls an der Konferenz teilzunehmen, wieder zurückzuziehen. Teheran dürfe wegen seiner Unterstützung für die syrischen Regierungstruppen bei den geplanten Verhandlungen in der Schweiz nicht mit am Tisch sitzen..............http://diepresse.com/home/politik/aussenpolitik/1550904/SyrienKonferenz_Opposition-stellt-UNO-Ultimatum-?from=rss
20/1/14