Kerry urges Syrian opposition to participate in Syria conference

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry urged here Thursday the Syrian opposition to join the conference on Syria due next week in Montreux, Switzerland. Kerry told reporters "on the eve of the Syrian Opposition Coalition General Assembly meeting tomorrow to decide whether to participate in Geneva, in the peace conference, the United States, urges a positive vote." He added "we do so knowing that the Geneva peace conference is not the end but rather the beginning, the launch of a process, a process that is the best opportunity for the opposition to achieve the goals of the Syrian people and the revolution and a political solution for this terrible conflict that has taken too many lives." "The Syrian people need to be able to determine the future of their country. Their voice must be heard. And any names put forward for leadership of Syria's transition must, be agreed to by both the opposition and the regime. That is the very definition of mutual consent," he remarked. He reiterated "this means that any figure that is deemed unacceptable by either side, whether President Assad or a member of the opposition, cannot be a part of the future," adding "attendance by both sides and the parties can come only with their acceptance of the goals of the conference." Furthermore, the U.S. top diplomat voiced deep concern over the rise of extremism, saying "the world needs no reminder that Syria has become the magnet for jihadists and extremists," and that it is "the strongest magnet for terror of any place today." He affirmed "we will continue to push, in the meantime, for vital access for humanitarian assistance," and "we will also continue to fight for cease-fires where we could achieve them, and we will continue to fight for the exchange or release of captive journalists and aid workers and others in order to try to improve the climate for negotiations." Kerry acknowledged that "obviously, none of this will be easy. Ending a war and stopping a slaughter never is easy," but "we believe, though, this is the only road that can lead to the place where the civilized world has joined together in an effort to lead the parties to a better outcome." He reiterated that the U.S. and the international community will continue to provide help and support, shedding light on the additional USD 380 million assistance his country pledged on Wednesday in Kuwait "in order to try to relieve the pain and suffering of the refugees." "We will continue to stand with the people of Syria writ large, all the people, in an effort to provide them with the dignity and the new Syria which they are fighting for," Kerry remarked.