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Syria Talks Open in Switzerland Syria Talks Open in Switzerland
(35 minutes later)
MONTREUX, Switzerland — After months of diplomatic maneuvering and last-minute slips, delegates gathered on Wednesday in this lakeside Swiss city to press for a settlement in Syria’s bloody civil war. MONTREUX, Switzerland — After months of diplomatic maneuvering and last-minute slips, delegates gathered on Wednesday in this lakeside Swiss city to press for a political settlement in Syria’s bloody civil war.
“We see only one option, negotiating a transition government born by mutual consent,” United States Secretary of State John Kerry said. But sharp divisions between the United States and Russia, and especially among the Syrian participants themselves, immediately came to the fore, casting doubt on the prospects for easing hostilities or even opening up humanitarian corridors for the delivery of food and medicine to besieged towns and cities.
“That means that Bashar al-Assad will not be part of that transition government,” he said, referring to the Syrian president, who is represented at the talks by senior officials. Even before the conference started, Syrian officials made clear that their leader’s future status was part of a “red line” of issues that could not be discussed here. Secretary of State John Kerry described the Syria crisis as a test for the international community and said it was unthinkable that President Bashar al-Assad of Syria could play a role in a transitional administration that would govern the country. The establishment of such a transitional body by “mutual consent” of the Assad government and the Syrian opposition is the major goal of the conference.
For the first time in such a forum, the delegations included representatives of President Bashar al-Assad’s government and his exiled political opponents, along with other key players, including the United States, Russia and the United Nations. “The right to lead a country does not come from torture,” said Mr. Kerry. “The only thing standing in the way is the stubborn clinging to power of one man.”
“We know that it has been an extremely difficult path to reach this point,” Ban Ki-moon, the United Nations secretary general said in opening remarks at the luxury hotel where the conference is being held to try to bridge the enormous gulf between the combatants and between their outside backers. But Sergey V. Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister, challenged the American insistence that Mr. Assad be excluded from a possible transitional administration, arguing that the conference had to “refrain from any attempt to predetermine the outcome of the process.”
“We have lost valuable time and many, many lives. Let me not mince words, the challenges before you and before all of us are formidable. Nevertheless, your presence here raises hope,” Mr. Ban said. Mr. Lavrov also argued that Iran, like Russia a staunch supporter of the Assad government, should be involved in conference proceedings. The United States has opposed allowing Iran to participate until it publicly endorses the mandate for the conference and successfully pressed the United Nations to withdraw its invitation to Tehran to attend.
Even before the talks began, one key player excluded from the talks — Iran — signaled profound pessimism, with President Hassan Rouhani telling an Iranian news agency that “we cannot have much hope” of a solution. Iran is Mr. Assad’s main regional backer. The stark differences between the American and Russia positions were outlined in civil tones. But that diplomatic restraint was soon abandoned when the Syrian foreign minister, Waled al-Moallem took the floor.
“We also don’t have much hope that this conference will be efficient in establishing stability since some supporters of the terrorists are participating in it,” he told Mehr news agency, referring to opponents of President Assad. Before Mr. Moallem spoke, Ban Ki-moon, the United Nations secretary general, implored the Assad government and the Syrian opposition to avoid inflammatory language and take a constructive approach.
Foreign Secretary William Hague of Britain suggested that the onus was on Damascus to show readiness for peace. But Mr. Moallem launched into a diatribe in which he accused Arab nations of financing terrorism and conspiring to destroy his country. “They have used their petrodollars to buy weapons,” he said, “and to flood the international media with lies.”
Mr. Moallem spoke for more than half an hour, far more than the seven minutes the opening speakers were allotted. As his address went on. Mr. Ban urged Mr. Moallem to wrap up his speech and to avoid his incendiary attacks.
“You live in New York. I live in Syria,” Mr. Moallem said defiantly.
After Mr. Ban again urged Mr. Moallem to be concise, the Syrian foreign minister said he would conclude soon, saying, “Syria always keeps its promises.” But he continued with his denunciations.
After Mr. Moallem finished, Mr. Ban said that his injunction that participants take a constructive approach “had been broken.”
Ahmad Assi al-Jarba, the president of the Syrian opposition coalition, spoke next and denounced the Assad government and Iran, which has sent arms and elite Quds force members to support Mr. Assad’s forces.
“We want to be sure we have a Syrian partners in this room.” Mr. Jarba said, alluding to the conference’s goal to establish a transitional administration. “Do we have such a partner?”
Mr. Jarba said that the opposition would never accept a role for Mr. Assad in a transitional administration.
“We see only one option, negotiating a transition government born by mutual consent,” United States Secretary of State John Kerry said as the gathering opened.
“That means that Bashar al-Assad will not be part of that transition government,” he said, referring to the Syrian president, who is represented at the talks by senior officials.
There was no way, Mr. Kerry said, that a man who has “led the brutal response to his own people can regain legitimacy to govern.”
After two days of talks here, the gathering is to move to Geneva for what the French foreign minister, Laurent Fabius, called “the real conference. If it fails, it will be a real crisis.”
Even before the talks began, Iran signaled profound pessimism, with President Hassan Rouhani telling an Iranian news agency that “we cannot have much hope” of a solution. Iran is Mr. Assad’s main regional backer.
“We also don’t have much hope that this conference will be efficient in establishing stability since some supporters of the terrorists are participating in it,” he told Mehr news agency, referring to opponents of President Assad. Mr. Rouhani said there was a “lack of influential players” at the conference and he doubted “its ability to resolve the Syria crisis,” the official IRNA news agency reported.
On Sunday, Mr. Ban invited Iran to attend the talks, but withdrew the invitation less than 24 hours later after Tehran said it would not accept preconditions for its attendance.
Foreign Secretary William Hague of Britain suggested on Wednesday that the onus was on Damascus to show readiness for peace.
“Opposition has been tested and has come. Now regime must be tested on willingness to seek a political solution,” he said on Twitter after arriving in Montreux.“Opposition has been tested and has come. Now regime must be tested on willingness to seek a political solution,” he said on Twitter after arriving in Montreux.
“Both sides should seize chance to end the war,” he said.“Both sides should seize chance to end the war,” he said.
The international sponsors of the conference say its aim should be to create “by mutual consent” a transitional authority in Syria.
But the Syrian authorities have already signaled the limits to what they are prepared to discuss. Syria’s foreign minister, Walid al-Moallem, arrived in Switzerland on Tuesday and announced, according to Syria’s state news agency, that “the presidency and the regime are ‘red lines for us and for the Syrian people.’ ”