UAE FM heads delegation to 'Friends of Syria' group meeting in Paris

UAE Foreign Minister HH Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan led the UAE's delegation to the 'Friends of Syria' group of foreign ministers which convened in the French capital Paris today. The meeting, which comes 10 days ahead of the international peace conference on Syria (Geneva 2) which is scheduled to be held on 22nd January in Geneva, was attended by foreign ministers of 11 countries and a delegation of the Syria's main opposition National Coalition, led by head Ahmed Al jarba. Al Jarba said at a joint press conference with French Prime Minister Laurent Fabius that :'' The most important aspect of today's meeting is that we all agree to say that the Assad family has no future in Syria." "Removing Assad from Syria for the future has now been clearly established in a unanimous decision adopted by the group without the possibility for ambiguity," he stated. "There is no solution to the Syrian tragedy apart from a political solution. And there is no possibility to achieve a political solution if Geneva 2 does not take place," said French Prime Minister Laurent Fabius at a press-conference in Paris on Sunday. The group unanimously adopted a communiqu? on Sunday, stating that the objective of Geneva 2 is to set up a transitional government with full consecutive powers, he added. The Friends of Syria also called on various groups of the Syrian opposition to the Geneva 2 peace talks. "We invite them to form, as soon as possible, a delegation of opposition forces to participate in the political process," the group said in a statement. The founding members of the group include the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Egypt and Jordan.