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The Syrian government delegation has arrived in Geneva, Switzerland to attend a new round of talks brokered by the United Nations between the government and the opposition that will continue until Dec. 2.
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The absence of the government delegation on the first day of the eighth round of negotiations that started Tuesday provoked rumors about its possible boycott of the talks.
The government had not yet confirmed its participation in the negotiations in Geneva on Monday, "but indicated that it would contact us very soon," explained the U.N. representative for Syria, Staffan de Mistura.
"Negotiations in Geneva can be prolonged, but at most until Saturday," a government source said. The decision to stay at least one more day came after the Syrian government announced on Monday that its delegation would not arrive in Geneva in protest of the opposition's demand that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad leave office before a possible transition, a request rejected by both the Syrian government and the U.N. Security Council.
"We will not accept any preconditions from any of the parties," said de Mistura on Monday.
After the delay in the arrival of the Syrian delegation, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Arab country confirmed the participation of the government in the negotiations. The new round is starting just as Syrian government troops along with their allies, including Russia, have driven terrorist groups from major territories in the country.
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