BEIRUT: Syria’s regime said Monday it would attend renewed peace talks in Geneva starting March 14, but the opposition was still considering whether to go despite a major lull in fighting.
The United Nations is hoping to restart peace talks that collapsed last month, building on a ceasefire that has led to the first significant decline in violence in Syria’s nearly five-year civil war.
UN Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura has said he hopes talks can begin from Thursday, but officials have indicated it could take several days of preparations before they can start.
A source close to the Syrian regime delegation told AFP it would attend the new round of talks starting from March 14.
But the opposition has sent mixed signals, with the head of the Riyadh-based High Negotiations Committee, Riad Hijab, refusing to commit.
“The HNC will assess the situation in the coming days and we will take the appropriate decision,” he said.
Hijab said a small HNC delegation would travel to Geneva “in the next two days” to meet the international task force monitoring the truce.
