DAMASCUS/GENEVA - Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem and representatives of the opposition on Saturday made diverging comments on whether to discuss the future of President President Bashar al-Assad at the imminent peace talks in Geneva.
"We will not talk with anyone who wants to discuss the presidency... Bashar al-Assad is a red line," Moallem told a Damascus news conference.
The opposition has insisted that the removal of Assad is a must to end a prolonged civil war that has already killed 250,000 people and displaced more.
In a fresh rendition of its long-held position regarding Assad, chief opposition negotiator Mohammad Alloush said in Geneva that a national transitional period in Syria could only begin "with the fall, or death, of Bashar al-Assad."
"It cannot start with the presence of the regime, or the head of this regime still in power," reports quoted him as saying.
Moallem said there's no reason for the opposition to come to Geneva if maintains its stance.
While confirming that the government delegation would take part in the renewed talks slated for Monday, he warned that the talks would fail if the opposition had "delusions that they will take power in Geneva that they failed to take in battle."
The Syrian top diplomat also lambasted U.N. envoy Staffan de Mistura for overstepping. Mistura said earlier that the possibility of federalism for Syria has not been taken off the table, and a presidential election would take place within 18 months.(Xinhua)