Moscow consultations are first format where Syrians speak with each other without pressure from outside - participant

MOSCOW, April 6. /TASS/. Intra-Syrian consultations in Moscow are the first format where the Syrians have an opportunity to speak with each other without external pressure, Namrud Suleman, an independent opposition delegate, told TASS on Monday. "We are thankful to Russia for the organization of the meeting, for its opening the door for a dialogue. Moscow is the first format where Syrians are speaking with Syrians without pressure from outside," he said. "Dialogue is needed. No one dies because of dialogue." "The war has led to nothing, only to the destruction of the country," he noted. "Over the days of consultations in Moscow we will try to work out a common position and then, on this platform, find points of contact with the governmental delegation. It is vitally important, The Syrians are waiting for that." Suleiman expressed concern over attempts at toppling Syria’s government. "Otherwise, the Islamic State and other terrorists will come to power," he noted. "It is a historic moment today. The future will depend on it." Earlier on Monday, Hassan Abdul Azim, the leader of the National Coordination Committee /the leading domestic opposition group/, told TASS that today’s meeting of representatives of Syria’s opposition in Moscow had focused on measures of building up trust in dialogue with the Syrian authorities. "We discussed steps to build up measures of trust between the government and the opposition, the prospects for the Geneva talks. It is yet too early to speak about any document before we meet with the governmental delegation," he said. "The opposition needs a common position. WE have not yet met with the governmental delegation and have no idea whether they are ready to release political prisoners and solve other top-priority issues of humanitarian nature that are to precede political settlement." Commenting of the refusal of the National Coalition for Syrian Revolution and Opposition Forces to come to Moscow, Azim noted that the National Coordination Committee, on the contrary, was using every opportunity to stop violence in Syria. A well-informed source told TASS that the opposition hoped to meet with the Damascus delegation on April 8. According to the source, representatives of the opposition, despite all the differences, have managed to bring their positions on key problems much closer. Read more