Exiled Syrian opposition to partake in Geneva II meet

Head of the Syrian National Coalition Ahmad Jarba announced Wednesday night that his group, which is the main opposition umbrella in exile, will attend the Geneva II peace conference.

Jarba made the announcement during a visit to Egyptian capital city after the Syrian government said it will attend the peace talks in Geneva, Xinhua reported.

Referring to the support Iran is rendering to the administration of President Bashar al-Assad, Jarba said Iran could participate in the event only if it "stopped killing the Syrians".

After months of delay, Syria's government and opposition are expected to hold their first negotiations aimed at ending the country's political crisis and armed conflict in Geneva Jan. 22.

The goal of Geneva II is to achieve a political solution to the conflict through a comprehensive agreement between the government and the opposition for the full implementation of the Geneva communique, adopted after the Geneva I conference Jan 30, 2012.

The communique, which has been endorsed by the UN Security Council, lays out key steps to end the violence.