Syrian opposition leader met with US, German delegations at Munich Security Conference

DAMASCUS, Syria, Feb. 4 (UPI) -- Upon returning from the Munich Security Conference, Syrian Coalition President Ahmad al-Jarba commented on his meetings with German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier and the U.S. delegation that included Senator John McCain (R-AZ).

The National Coalition of Syrian Revolution and Opposition Forces released a statement on Monday about the opposition president's participation at the conference.

At the conference, President al-Jarba's meeting with the German Foreign Minister Steinmeier focused on Geneva II in terms of both progress made and challenges faced, with the president noting the opposition's difficulty in getting the Bashar al-Assad regime to accept the Geneva I communique. According to the opposition, "Mr. Steinmeier expressed readiness to provide all of the support needed to facilitate reaching a solution that meets the Syrian people’s demands."

President al-Jarba and the U.S. delegation discussed a range of issues that included non-lethal and military aid for the Syrian opposition, political transformation post-Assad, and combating terrorism. The opposition's press statement noted that "Everyone agreed that the Syrian Coalition forms the military and political umbrella for all Syrian oppositional forces."

The Munich Security Conference is an annual meeting that convened from January 31 to February 2 to bring together an international "strategic community" focused on promoting dialogue, cooperation, and peaceful resolution concerning current and future security challenges.

[Syrian Coalition]