International Conference of "Friends of Syria" begins in Tunisia

TUNIS (A.A) - The International Conference of "Friends of Syria" began in Tunisia on Friday. Diplomatic sources said that the "Friends of Syria" group would announce their support to the Arab League decisions on Syria and make its intention to contribute to the comprehensive political transition process in Syria. The "Friends of Syria" group will refer to the UN decisions that were vetoed at the UN Security Council by Russia and China and others accepted at the UN General Assembly in today's meeting. As part of the UN decisions, the "Friends of Syria" group is expected to cooperate with the Arab League and the UN on Syria. The "Friends of Syria" group will stress the terrible situation in Syria and make a call on the Syrian regime and international organizations so that humanitarian assistance reaches the Syrian people. The meeting will be an opportunity to express "Friends of Syria" group's desire to work more closely with the Syrian opposition and affirm the intention to continue contact with the Syrian National Council. The "Friends of Syria" group is expected to recognize the Syrian National Council as the legitimate representative of the Syrian people. The meeting in Tunis is expected to be a platform where the Syrian Humanitarian Assistance Forum would get formed and the first meeting of the forum is expected to take place in Cairo on March 5. The "Friends of Syria" is expected to hold its second international conference in Istanbul in March and the third one in France. The "Friends of Syria" meeting is being attended by officials from more than 60 Western and Arabic countries. Russia and China did not send any representatives to the Tunis meeting. (Reporting by Mustafa Keles)