CAIRO
A conference of Syrian opposition groups kicked off Monday in Cairo.
Attended by more than 200 opposition representatives, the two-day meeting is expected to discuss means of forging a united opposition front with a view to resolving the ongoing conflict in Syria, which has remained in the throes of civil war since 2011.
In the meeting’s opening session, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry reiterated Cairo's support for a political settlement to the conflict.
“Saving the lives of Syrian children calls for redoubled efforts to help achieve reconciliation,” he said.
Shoukry also called on Syrian opposition groups to avoid “differences”.
Arab League Secretary-General Nabil al-Arabi, for his part, blamed Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for the current situation in Syria.
“The Syrian regime is fully responsible for the current situation due to its insistence on escalation and its refusal to deal with all political initiatives aimed at resolving the crisis,” he told attendees.
He said the solution to the Syrian crisis “should be a Syrian peaceful solution”.
Monday's conference had initially been scheduled for April, but was later postponed.
In January, Egypt hosted a similar gathering of Syrian opposition groups.
According to the UN, more than 220,000 people have been killed in Syria since the conflict between the Assad regime and opposition forces began.
