The United States and France warned the Syrian regime on Sunday against trying to disrupt the fragile ceasefire as the warring sides prepared for fresh peace talks to end the brutal five-year conflict.The UN-brokered indirect negotiations are due to start on Monday in Geneva, the latest international push to try to end a war that has killed more than 270,000 people and forced millions from their homes.
After talks with European allies in Paris, US Secretary of State John Kerry hit out at comments by his Syrian counterpart that removing President Bashar Al Assad would cross a "red line" in the negotiations.
| At least when the Syrians say something is a 'red line', they mean it... |
Kerry warned Syria and its allies Russia and Iran against "testing boundaries" or lessening their compliance with a fragile February 27 truce brokered by Washington and Moscow that has largely held despite each side accusing the other of violations.
Muallem said in Damascus on Saturday: "We will not talk with anyone who wants to discuss the presidency... Bashar Al Assad is a red line."
Kerry said the Syrian minister was "clearly trying to disrupt the process... clearly trying to send a message of deterrence to others.
"But the fact is (Assad's) strongest sponsors Russia and Iran have both adopted... an approach which dictates that there must be a political transition and that we must have a presidential election at some time," he added. Syrian government negotiator Bashar Al Jaafari arrived on Sunday in Geneva, where delegates from the main opposition group, the High Negotiations Committee (HNC), are already preparing.