Moscow expects the wave of resignations within the Syrian opposition to help unite it inside and outside the country, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Tuesday.
Speaking to the press, Lavrov said that he expected “the retreating of radical opposition leaders to the background to help the Syria-based and foreign-based opposition unite on a constructive basis," adding that Russia would support Saudi efforts in this respect.
The head of the High Negotiations Committee, Riyad Hijab, resigned from his position on Monday two years after he was selected as head of the body.
After Hijab’s resignation, HNC spokesman Riad Nassan Agha announced his resignation over Twitter. This was followed by a swift collapse of the committee with successive resignations. At least 10 members have so far stepped down from the negotiations body, including George Sabra and Suheir Atassi.
George Sabra, head of the Syrian National Council and member of the political bureau in the Syrian National Coalition said he would not be attending the Riyadh II conference, “in protest over the High Negotiation Committee being ignored and the hasty and unilateral manner in which the conference was prepared.”
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
