Syria will take its time to hold a landmark national dialogue conference to ensure that the preparations include all segments of Syrian society, Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani said on Tuesday.
Objective Of The Conference
The conference is meant to bring together Syrians from across society to chart a new path for the nation after Islamist rebels ousted autocratic President Bashar al-Assad.
Assad’s family which ruled Syria for 54 years, fled to Russia on December 8 after Syrian rebels seized control of the country’s capital Damascus and President Assad’s sprawling palaces.
The 59 year-old autocratic leader and his family were granted asylum by Russia.
Taking Time To Hold The National Dialogue
“We will take our time with the national dialogue conference to have the opportunity to form an expanded preparatory committee that can accommodate the comprehensive representation of Syria from all segments,” Shibani said.
What Are Diplomats Saying?
Diplomats and visiting envoys had in recent days told Syria’s new rulers it would be better not to rush the conference to improve its chances of success, rather than yield mixed results, two diplomats said.
The new government has not yet decided on a date for the conference, sources previously told Reuters.
Several members of opposition groups have recently said that they had not received invitations.
Syria Needs Time For Reconstruction
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday that time was needed for Syria to pick itself up again and rebuild following Assad’s overthrow.
He said that the damage to infrastructure from 13 years of civil war looked worse than anticipated.
Offer Of Help From Turkey
Since Assad’s fall on December 8, Turkey has repeatedly said it would provide any help needed to help its neighbour rebuild, and has sent its foreign minister, intelligence chief, and an energy ministry delegation to discuss providing it with electricity.
Cross-Border Incursions
Turkey shares a 911-km (565-mile) border with Syria and has carried out several cross-border incursions against Kurdish militants it views as terrorists.
(With inputs from Reuters)
