Syrian talks on verge of ending before they begin

Syria’s first peace talks came close to collapsing before they began, with the opposition refusing to meet president Bashar al-Assad’s delegation and the government threatening to bring its team home.

Still, figures on both sides later seemed to moderate their positions, expressing a willingness to meet their enemies.

The opposition said earlier that it would not meet Assad’s delegation unless it first agreed to sign up to a protocol calling for a transitional administration. The government rejected the demand outright and said its negotiators would return home unless serious talks began within a day.

“If no serious work sessions are held by (Saturday), the official Syrian delegation will leave Geneva due to the other side’s lack of seriousness or preparedness,” Syrian state television quoted foreign minister Walid al-Moualem as saying.

Yesterday was meant to be the first time in three years of war Assad’s government and foes would talk face to face. But plans were ditched at the last minute after the opposition said the government delegation must first sign up to a 2012 protocol, Geneva 1, that calls for an interim government to oversee a transition to a new political order.

The government delegation met UN envoy Lakhdar Brahimi separately, and said it rejected the opposition demand. But figures on the government and opposition sides later said they were prepared to sit in the same room.

Syrian deputy foreign minister Faisal Mekdad said his side was going to meet the opposition today. Asked if it would be in the same room, he said: “Yes.”

Burhan Ghalioun, former president of the Syrian National Council, said: “There is no problem, we will sit at the same table.”