New group of Syrian opposition formed at Khmeimin base meeting- Russian ambassador

GENEVA, March 14. /TASS/. A new Syrian opposition group has been formed at a meeting at Russia’s Khmeimim base and it may come to Geneva, Russian Ambassador to the UN and other international organizations in Geneva Alexei Borodavkin told TASS on Monday. "We are pleased to note that the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, and his office have welcomed the formation of a new moderate opposition group," the diplomat said. "Staffan de Mistura has promised to negotiate the issue of inviting representatives of this group to the Geneva negotiations." According to Borodavkin, this group comprises oppositionists who live and work in Syria but who have not been included in the political structure that is currently in power. "They have taken advantage of the cessation of hostilities regime and said that they support this regime, support the Russian-American statement on how this regime should be implemented, consolidated their political will, adopted a relevant statement and created a so-called secular opposition group in Khmeimim. It happened at the base of our Center for reconciliation," the ambassador said. According to Borodavkin, this new group could join the negotiations on Syrian settlement and could "make a positive and constructive contribution to making agreements on the implementation of the UN Security Council Resolution 2254 in the part related to the political settlement of the Syrian crisis." TASS has learnt that this group comprises doctors, lawyers, engineers, journalist and public activist representing the Syrian organization National Action, the Front for Democratic Action in Syria, the Syrian National Youth Party and Syrian Fatherland Party, as well as the International Red Cross Committee and others. The oppositionists call themselves the Khmeimim group. The ceasefire regime between the Syrian government forces and armed opposition groups came into force from 00:00 (01:00, Moscow time) on February 27. Ceasefire is not applicable to the terrorist groups Islamic State and Jabhat al-Nusra, as well as other formations recognized by the UN Security Council as terrorist. An hour before the ceasefire came into force, the United Nations Security Council adopted a resolution in support of cessation of hostilities in Syria. The document was initiated by Russia and the United States and won support from all the 15 members of the United Nations Security Council. United Nations Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura, told a briefing after the United Nations Security Council meeting that 97 armed groups in Syria had accepted the ceasefire terms. According to the Russian military, the ceasefire regime in generally observed, but occasional violations of the regime have been recorded since the ceasefire regime came into force. Russia’s Aerospace Forces started delivering strikes in Syria at facilities of the Islamic State and Jabhat al-Nusra terrorist groups (both banned in Russia) on September 30, 2015. The air group initially comprised over 50 aircraft and helicopters, including Sukhoi Su-24M, Su-25SM and state-of-the-art Su-34 aircraft. They were redeployed to the Khmeimim airbase in the province of Latakia. On October 7, Moscow also involved the Russian Navy in the military operation. Four missile ships of the Caspian Flotilla fired 26 Kalibr cruise missiles (NATO codename Sizzler) at militants’ facilities in Syria Read more