Press release: Foreign Secretary welcomes Syrian opposition agreement in Riyadh

Speaking following the successful conclusion of the talks in Riyadh, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said:

I welcome the news that the Syrian opposition in Riyadh have reached agreement on a new line-up and negotiating team ahead of negotiations in Geneva next week, moving forwards with their commitment to peace in Syria.

I congratulate Nasr al-Hariri on his election as Chief of the Negotiating Committee, and Saudi Arabia on hosting a highly successful event in Riyadh to bring the Syrian opposition together. The Syrian opposition have worked hard and shown considerable flexibility in its efforts to unify and broaden their platform. I welcome the opposition’s broad commitment to engage in political negotiations without preconditions. The regime and its backers now need to show the same commitment – they no longer have any excuse for their failure to engage.

There is now an opportunity for upcoming talks in Geneva to generate serious momentum and create the inclusive political transition necessary to end this conflict.