Syrian opposition may skip Geneva talks

Syrian opposition will refuse to participate in talks on the Syria crisis settlement in Geneva, scheduled for February 20, if its demands made during the Astana negotiations are not fulfilled, the head of the Syrian armed opposition delegation to the Astana talks, Mohammed Alloush, said.

"We will not go to Geneva until our demands are met, namely, guarantees of truce, release of political prisoners and the lifting of the siege of several settlements by Assad's regime," Alloush said in an interview with Anadolu news agency.

He stressed that after talks in Astana, the Syrian opposition met with representatives of the countries-guarantors to discuss the requirements necessary for establishing truce, and received certain promises related to the issue.

"In particular, we were promised that regime forces will not enter Barada valley and East Ghouta, and no opposition group will be attacked, though these promises have not been fulfilled," Alloush said.

He added that the opposition's demands would be discussed at the international technical meeting on Syria, which began earlier on Monday in Astana.

"The Syrian opposition made open and specific requirements. We participated in negotiations with the countries-guarantors in Astana and received a number of promises. Now we demand them to be fulfilled," Sputnik cited Alloush as saying.