Syrian opposition: Geneva talks a step to end tyranny

The senior negotiator for the Syrian opposition, George Sabra, said Tuesday that the Geneva talks are a significant step toward ending the tyranny and totalitarianism in Syria, Orient news reported on Wednesday.

Sabra also said that the High Negotiations Committee (HNC) handed the U.N. Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura a document that includes the outlines and principles of the transitional period and the solution in Syria. On his side, the senior opposition negotiator Munzer Makhoos said: "The Russian withdrawal from Syria came to prevent the Geneva talks' collapse."

De Mistura said earlier that he discussed the general transitional principles with the opposition's HNC. "I am waiting for the opportune time to launch direct talks between the Assad regime and the opposition," he said.

Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said that now is the best opportunity to end the conflict in Syria. The Geneva talks are U.N.-mediated talks that started on March 14 between the Assad regime's delegation and the Syrian opposition to end the five years of conflict in the country.