Congress in Sochi to support direct dialogue between Syrians - participant

SOCHI, January 29. /TASS/. The Syrian National Dialogue Congress in Sochi will help provide direct dialogue between different groups of the Syrian society, which the Geneva platform failed to do, representative of the Astana-based Syrian opposition platform Mahmoud al-Afandi told reporters on Monday. "The difference from Geneva is that here we all will be together, whereas in Geneva [United Nations Special Envoy for Syria Staffan] de Mistura is carrying out a ‘shuttle’ diplomacy and walking between the rooms of the government and the opposition. There will be no borders between us [in Sochi,] and it’s good," he said. Al-Afandi added that Russia’s efforts in Sochi helped gather people who were divided by the war into conflicting sides and scattered to various countries. "But now we can finally see each other and discuss how to end this war," he added. According to the delegation member, after seven years of the conflict both in Syria and outside it there are many of those who would benefit if the war continued and who are interested in it. "This should be ended," he stated. Al-Afandi paid special attention to the position of the US "that needs the war in Syria to preserve its military presence in the country." He presumed that the information campaign against participation in the congress of external opposition representatives, including the Astana-based platform, was launched at Washington’s initiative. "Those who are going to Sochi were called traitors, and a real information war was launched. I believe that it were Americans who used their channels. Several people even refused to participate. But those who came realize that this is a place where a solution to the Syrian crisis may be found," he added. The congress in Sochi The Syrian National Dialogue Congress will be held in Sochi on January 29-30. According to the organizers, about 1,600 delegates representing various groups of the Syrian society were invited to the forum. According to their nationality, most of the participants are Arabs (94.5%), but among those invited are also Kurds, Yazidis, Assyrians, Armenians, Circassians, Chechens, Dagestanis, Abkhazians, Turkoman people and the Druze. All major regional and international external players were invited to the Congress as observers. One of the main tasks of the Congress is establishment of a commission to develop Syria’s constitution. Read more