BREAKING: Syrian National Dialogue Congress Begins in Sochi - Future of Country Hangs in Balance
The Syrian National Dialogue Congress is starting in Sochi. The future of the Arab Republic and a constitutional reform in the country are among the main issues. Today, more than 1,5 thousand participants of the forum came together to chart ways out of the protracted political crisis. Whole world’s attention without exaggeration is locked on these large-scale negotiations.
Our observer Denis Davydov will tell you about the hopes that the participants of the Congress have for the forthcoming talks.
The Damascus airport is full of people. 1300 delegates from Syria alone аre flying to the Congress in Sochi. Negotiations unprecedented in scale and format are ahead.
Haleb Labud, delegate of the Congress: "I'm very glad that Russia provided us with a platform for negotiations with all the constructive forces of our republic. Let's hope for a positive result".
Gerard Reisyam, delegate of the Congress: "All these people are flying to Sochi with one goal, to find a solution to the Syrian problem, to end it. First of all, we must meet with the opposition, if I can call it so. In the end, we’re all Syrians. These meetings will be between Syrians and Syrians".
Here, people wish peace to the guests who’re so tired of the war. Posters with a white dove can be seen both at the airport and on the way to the hotels where the delegates аre staying.
Riyad Tabara, the Syrian People's Appeal party member: "We see that there are plans to divide Syria, including because of the US military presence on our soil. And we’ll, therefore, stress the need to adopt resolutions on preventing the division of Syria".
Monzer Akbik, the Tomorrow of Syria movement representative: "We must agree on a ceasefire. The Geneva talks didn’t help the whole process. There’s a chance now to help the Geneva talks".
There really is a chance. The format of the Congress is unique. Not only representatives of the authorities and the opposition will be at the same table. Representatives of Syrian tribes, sheiks, former members of illegal armed groups who agreed to the truce, spiritual leaders, diasporas, Kurds, Isids, Assyrians also came to In Sochi. A real national dialogue is ahead.
These days, it’s difficult to find vacant rooms in the Sochi Olympic Park hotels. More than 500 journalists and 1600 delegates work at the Congress. There are three hotels for them. This is the first, there's the second across the road, and the third is close to it. The participants live close to each other but not together, not under the same roof. There are political opponents here. They were accommodated depending on their views in order to avoid conflicts.
No intermediaries. Russia only organized the site, foreign observers are only watching. It’s prohibited to interfere in the talks of the Syrians.
Mahmoud al-Afandi, the Astana platform representative: "Russia managed to create a platform where everyone not just sits at the negotiating table but finally discusses the constitution. It's for us to consider our options because the war will end at some point. How to live after that?"
Alexander Lavrentiev, President’s Special Representative on the Syrian Settlement: "One of the goals is to select candidates to participate in the work of the Constitutional Review Commission. It’s very important because we’re going to transfer this issue, in accordance with Security Council Resolution 2254, for further implementation to Staffan de Mistura and for his further work".
Stefan de Mistura, the UN Special Representative for Syria, has already arrived in Sochi. It's a sign. The UN supported the Congress. It’s more surprising than to hear the statement of the High Negotiations Committee opposition representatives, which refused to accept the invitation.
Dmitry Peskov, presidential press-secretary: "The fact that some representatives of the processes in Syria didn't participate is unlikely to undermine the Congress and the importance of this Congress".
According to the delegates, Americans are discouraging those who want to travel to Russia.
Sergey Mikheyev, political scientist: "Americans wanted to divide Syria, and, in fact, they came close to it. Contradictions with Turkey prevented them from creating a Kurdish quasi-state. I think they won’t give up their goals. In such a situation, no negotiations, no continuation of even the Geneva talks are of interest to them".
The US received the invitation of the organizers, but they haven’t yet responded to it. However, there’s still time before the Congress starts. It’ll open tomorrow morning. The last preparations are held in the plenary hall.
Denis Davydov, Mikhail Fedotov, Stanislav Ponomarenko, Valery Glushakov, and Oksana Sergantova, Vesti, Sochi.