Syrian opposition coalition demands UN to dissolve Iran’s invitation

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YEREVAN, JANUARY 20, ARMENPRESS. National opposition coalition of opposite and revolutionary forces of Syria demanded to dissolve the invitation directed to Iran within 6-hour period. “Armenpress” reports citing “Al Jazeera” TV company that earlier, the opposition coalition announced the decision of not participating in the international conference.

United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said urgent talks were now going on to sort out the issue.

He invited Iran after he had received assurances that the Iranians would play a "positive role" in securing a transitional government.

Iran accepted the invitation to the talks "without preconditions".

The UN and Russia have long argued that Tehran should play a role.

On Monday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said he backed Mr Ban's decision to invite the Iranians, saying if they were absent "it will look like a profanation".

But the US, which has not had formal diplomatic relations with Tehran for three decades, insisted Iran had to commit to a transitional government.

State department officials said that public statements given by Tehran fell short of the commitment given to Mr Ban in private, and that the US expects the invitation to be withdrawn.

The US has accused Tehran of giving military and financial support to Mr Assad's regime.

Preliminary talks are due to open in Montreux on Wednesday and then continue in Geneva two days later.

The path to the talks began in May last year when Mr Lavrov and US Secretary of State John Kerry agreed to try to bring both sides together.

Later, the UN Security Council called for a conference to implementthe Geneva communique- a deal on a transitional government agreed at a UN-backed meeting in 2012.

The three-year conflict in Syria has claimed the lives of more than 100,000 people.

An estimated two million people have fled the country and some 6.5 million have been internally displaced.

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