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UK's Hague urges Syria opposition to join Geneva talks West urges Syria opposition to join Geneva talks
(35 minutes later)
Syria's moderate opposition should "commit itself fully" to planned peace talks, UK Foreign Secretary William Hague has said after talks in London. Syria's moderate opposition should "commit itself fully" to planned peace talks, the UK and US have said.
Planned talks in Geneva next month offered Syrians the "best hope to improve their lives", Mr Hague said. The talks in Geneva next month offered Syrians the "best hope to improve their lives", UK Foreign Secretary William Hague said.
He was speaking after Arab and Western foreign ministers had gathered to meet Syrian opposition officials. He was speaking after Arab and Western foreign ministers gathered in London to meet Syrian opposition officials.
A key group in Syria's main opposition alliance has threatened to boycott the planned meeting, dubbed Geneva II.A key group in Syria's main opposition alliance has threatened to boycott the planned meeting, dubbed Geneva II.
Earlier Mr Hague had said that bolstering Syria's moderate opposition was crucial to excluding extremists from power in the war-gripped country. Mr Hague's US counterpart John Kerry said he believed and hoped the meeting would go ahead as planned but that Western countries could not control whether all parties would attend.
The Syrian National Council (SNC) has been unwilling to talk to representatives of Bashar al-Assad's government. Addressing the opposition, Mr Kerry said: "You can win at the negotiating table what it may take a long time and a lot of... loss of life to win on the battlefield."
Ministers believe unity is vital among the fractured groups of Syria's armed and political opposition if peace talks are to have any chance of success. Mr Hague said the ministers had agreed to "put our united and collective weight behind the UN-led Geneva II process".
The process envisaged the establishment "by mutual consent a transitional governing body with full executive powers," Mr Hague said.
He reaffirmed the view of the Friends of Syria group - Britain, Egypt, France, Germany, Jordan, Italy, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and the United States - that Geneva II must be about a political transition in Syria away from the regime of President Bashar al-Assad.
Any transitional government could only be agreed with the consent of the Syrian National Coalition, and therefore Mr Assad would play no role in it, Mr Hague added.
The Syrian National Council (SNC) has been unwilling to talk to representatives of Mr Assad's government.
Mr Kerry said he expected representatives of the government to attend and to "negotiate in good faith".
Mr Hague and Mr Kerry also pledged further backing for Syria's moderate opposition, aimed at bolstering them in the face of rising influence extremists from power in the war-gripped country.
Rebel rivalriesRebel rivalries
In London, foreign ministers from 11 countries - the so-called Friends of Syria group - are trying to encourage opposition groups "to have a united position" ahead of Geneva II, Mr Hague told the BBC's Today programme. Earlier, Mr Hague admitted in comments to the BBC's Today programme that an increasingly prominent role was being played in Syria by Islamist rebels linked to al-Qaeda, who have been involved in bitter struggles with more moderate forces.
Mr Hague admitted that an increasingly prominent role was being played in Syria by Islamist rebels linked to al-Qaeda, who are engaged in no kind of peace process and who have been involved in bitter struggles with more moderate forces.
"The reason we have to make sure we are supporting and dealing with the moderate opposition committed to a democratic, pluralistic, non-sectarian future for Syria is precisely because if they don't have a role, then all the Syrian people have got left is a choice between Assad and extremists," Mr Hague said.
"The longer this conflict goes on, the more sectarian it becomes. That's why we're making a renewed effort" with Geneva II, Mr Hague said."The longer this conflict goes on, the more sectarian it becomes. That's why we're making a renewed effort" with Geneva II, Mr Hague said.
He reaffirmed the view of the Friends of Syria group - Britain, Egypt, France, Germany, Jordan, Italy, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and the United States - that Geneva II must be about a political transition in Syria away from the Assad regime. Iran as yet has no role in Geneva II, but Mr Hague said he was trying to use new positive diplomatic relations with Iran to encourage it to play a "more constructive role".
Iran as yet has no role in Geneva II, but Mr Hague said he was trying to use new positive diplomatic relations with Iran to encourage it to play a "more constructive role" - but that required Iran to back a "transitional government in Syria made up of regime and opposition, by mutual consent". Mr Hague and Mr Kerry reiterated their position that Mr Assad had lost any legitimacy to rule.
Earlier, the US Secretary of State John Kerry stressed that Syria's opposition would never agree to President Assad staying in power. But Mr Assad earlier told Lebanon's al-Mayadeen television that he saw no reason why he could not run for the presidency again.
"He has bombed and gassed people in his country. How can that man claim to rule under any legitimacy in the future?" he said, dismissing suggestions that Mr Assad could stand for re-election in 2014.
But President Assad reportedly told Lebanon's al-Mayadeen television that he saw no reason why he could not run.
"Personally, I don't see any obstacles to being nominated to run in the next presidential elections," he was quoted as saying by the channel."Personally, I don't see any obstacles to being nominated to run in the next presidential elections," he was quoted as saying by the channel.
Mr Assad told the channel that his government would take part in the conference without preconditions, but suggested the prospects that it would reach a settlement were, at present, dim.Mr Assad told the channel that his government would take part in the conference without preconditions, but suggested the prospects that it would reach a settlement were, at present, dim.
"No time has been set, and the factors are not yet in place if we want to succeed," he told al-Mayadeen in comments reported by AFP news agency. "No time has been set, and the factors are not yet in place if we want to succeed," he told al-Mayadeen.
"Which forces are taking part? What relation do these forces have with the Syrian people? Do these forces represent the Syrian people, or do they represent the states that invented them?" he asked."Which forces are taking part? What relation do these forces have with the Syrian people? Do these forces represent the Syrian people, or do they represent the states that invented them?" he asked.
Saudi Arabia and Qatar are key funders of opposition forces in Syria, including, it is believed, hardline Islamist groups.Saudi Arabia and Qatar are key funders of opposition forces in Syria, including, it is believed, hardline Islamist groups.
Geneva positionsGeneva positions
On Monday, the main opposition alliance, the National Coalition, said it was postponing until early November meetings to decide whether to attend the Geneva II conference.On Monday, the main opposition alliance, the National Coalition, said it was postponing until early November meetings to decide whether to attend the Geneva II conference.
The opposition has been further weakened by fighting between the moderate Free Syrian Army and Islamist rebel groups.The opposition has been further weakened by fighting between the moderate Free Syrian Army and Islamist rebel groups.
Western officials have been buoyed by the initial results of the chemical disarmament effort in Syria, the BBC's diplomatic correspondent Jonathan Marcus says. Also on Tuesday, the UN Special Co-ordinator for the mission to destroy Syria's chemical weapons, Sigrid Kaag, said in a statement that to date, the Syrian government had "fully cooperated" in the mission's work.
Western officials have been buoyed by the initial results of the chemical disarmament effort, the BBC's diplomatic correspondent Jonathan Marcus says.
But he adds that they are painfully aware that the recent chemical deal has done nothing to alter the course of the civil war or to reduce the burgeoning humanitarian catastrophe in and around Syria.But he adds that they are painfully aware that the recent chemical deal has done nothing to alter the course of the civil war or to reduce the burgeoning humanitarian catastrophe in and around Syria.
Participants at the first round of talks in June 2012 (Geneva I) had sought to end the civil war by getting Damascus and the opposition to choose a transitional government.Participants at the first round of talks in June 2012 (Geneva I) had sought to end the civil war by getting Damascus and the opposition to choose a transitional government.
The National Coalition has insisted that President Assad play no role in a transitional authority - something the Syrian government has rejected.
More than 100,000 people have been killed since the Syrian conflict began in 2011.More than 100,000 people have been killed since the Syrian conflict began in 2011.