Afrassianet - At a time of conflicting news about the participation of the head of the political body of the Army of Islam, Muhammad Alloush, in Astana negotiations, the Kazakh Foreign Ministry expected that he will attend the meeting, but will lead the delegation of the opposition.
"According to preliminary information, Mohammed Alloush will head the delegation of the Syrian armed opposition," the head of the ministry's media office, Anwar Jaitakov, said Monday in a press statement to highlight the participants in the upcoming negotiations.
Contrary to these expectations, the director of the Political Bureau of the "Martyrs of Islam" Brigade, Captain Said Narkash, said that Allouche will not participate in the fifth round of negotiations Astana.
In an interview with the Russian news agency Sputnik, Narkash said in response to a question on whether Alush would head the delegation of the Syrian armed opposition at the Astana meeting, which will kick off on Tuesday: "According to my information, Mohammed Alloush apologized for participating in this tour. , He will not participate. "
Narkash added that Osama Abu Zeid, a spokesman for the Free Syrian Army, would also not participate in the negotiations.
It is worth mentioning that Alloush, who was the head of the opposition delegation in several previous rounds of negotiations in the Kazakh capital, has not yet announced his decision to participate in the next meeting, but said in a tweet posted on his account on the site, "Twitter", heading to the description of "Cheap auctioneer": "If the factions (the opposition) to the negotiations of Astana said agents of the Russians and sold the blood of the martyrs, and if they did not go and boycotted said agents to the Americans."
4 main themes on the agenda of the Astana Conference tomorrow
Representatives of Russia, Turkey and Iran are due to hold a working session on Monday in Astana, capital of Kazakhstan, on the eve of negotiations on Syria on July 4 and 5.
Conference Agenda:
1. The issue of counter-terrorism.
2. Coordination of the data relating to the memorandum of tension-reduction zones agreed on May 4, establishing 4 zones to reduce tension in Syria, starting from 6 May. And the cessation of military activity in those areas, including flights. With the establishment of inspection centers on the borders of these areas, in addition to the deployment of special centers to monitor the truce.
3- Discussing the formation of the Syrian Commission for National Reconciliation.
4. Discuss issues related to the delivery of humanitarian assistance and the reconstruction of infrastructure in Syria.
Provocations and representations
The situation around Syria is seriously worsening on the eve of the Astana negotiations, especially after the US claims that the Syrian authorities have prepared a new chemical attack in the countryside of Damascus.
Sergei Lavrov, Russia's foreign minister, said earlier that Washington's claims could encourage terrorists to provoke a new provocation and hold the Syrian authorities responsible, which could lead to new US strikes against the Syrian army.
The new report on the chemical attack in the Syrian town of Khan Sheikun in the Idlib countryside on April 4, published by the International Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, was poured into the fire. It said that the sarin gas was used during the attack, which Western countries accused Damascus of being behind on the basis of the contents of the report.
Participants in the Astana negotiations
Syria, Russia, Turkey and Iran will also participate in the negotiations between the UN representative to Syria, Stephan de Mistura, Nawaf Wasfi al-Tal, adviser to the Jordanian foreign minister, and Stewart Jones, assistant secretary of state for Middle East affairs.
Bashar Jafari, the Syrian permanent representative to the United Nations, heads the delegation of the Syrian government, while the names of members of the Syrian opposition delegation have yet to be announced.
Source: TASS + Agencies