Syria opposition chief to press Russia on Assad

Syria's opposition leader met Russia's top diplomat today in a bid to persuade Moscow to pressure Damascus to agree to a transitional government for the war-scarred nation.
The talks between Syrian National Coalition chief Ahmad Jarba and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov came after an inconclusive 10-day peace conference in Geneva broke up on Friday without a firm commitment from Damascus to attend a new round set for February 10.
The so-called Geneva II talks were promoted jointly by Washington - a firm backer of the Syrian opposition - and Moscow - an ally of the Damascus regime - in a bid to convince the warring sides to sit down for direct negotiations for the first time.

But Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's team and the opposition made no progress on local ceasefires or permission for humanitarian corridors to some of the country's more devastated cities such as Homs.
Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov told the state-run RIA Novosti news today that "we expected the government delegation, as it had previously assured us, to take part in future negotiations with the opposition."
Yet Gatilov also conceded that "for now, it is premature to talk about any decisions (about a new round of talks) because these have not yet been made."

A Jarba aide said the umbrella opposition group was especially concerned that Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem had avoided any discussion of a transitional government that could pave the way for Assad's removal from power.

"The main subjects of discussion with the Russian foreign minister will be the delivery of humanitarian assistance to Syrian cities, the release of prisoners from Syrian jails, and the formation of a transitional government," Jarba's head adviser Monzer Aqbiq told RIA Novosti.
"Considering this last point, we have many questions that we will be able to discuss with Moscow," Aqbiq was quoted as saying.
Russia had earlier invited Jarba to Moscow for a visit on the eve of the Geneva conference that would have coincided with a trip by representatives from Assad's government.