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Russia: Syria Agrees to Participate in Conference

by VOA News May 24, 2013

Russia says the Syrian government has agreed in principle to attend a proposed international peace conference on the country's future.

A spokesman for the Russian foreign ministry made the announcement Friday but said it is impossible to set a date yet because it is not clear yet who will speak for the Syrian opposition.

​​​​ ​​Russia and the United States have proposed the conference take place next month in Geneva. A senior State Department official confirmed to VOA that U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry will travel to Paris Monday to meet with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, to discuss the talks.

On Thursday, a prominent Syrian opposition figure proposed a transition plan for the war-torn country, requiring President Bashar al-Assad to hand power to a senior aide and leave the country. The outgoing head of the main opposition Syrian National Coalition, Moaz al-Khatib, published the plan on his Facebook page Thursday.

The Syrian National Coalition is considering whether to support the U.S.-Russian initiative calling for the opposition and the government to attend a peace conference in June to resolve their two-year conflict.

​​Khatib's plan would give Assad 20 days to accept its terms and another month to dissolve parliament and transfer all of his powers to Syrian Vice President Faruq al-Shara or Prime Minister Wael al-Halki.

One of them would then lead an interim government for 100 days, during which the Syrian military would have to be restructured. A Syrian transitional government formed with international guarantees would then take over.

The proposal also calls for the Syrian government to release all political prisoners. It indicates a willingness by some Syrian opposition figures to work with government officials deemed not to have played a direct role in Assad's deadly crackdown on dissent.

The Syrian government had no immediate reaction to Khatib's plan. But Assad has vowed to remain in the office that he inherited from his late father in 2000. He also has expressed a determination to run for re-election next year.