Syria opposition delays peace talks decision until Thursday

A key Syrian opposition coalition on Wednesday postponed a decision on whether to join UN-backed peace talks in Geneva to await more information from the United Nations, a spokesman said.

Salem al-Meslet said the Saudi-backed High Negotiations Committee, meeting for a second day in Riyadh, adjourned until Thursday a session convened to decide whether to attend the peace talks due to open in Geneva the next day.

The HNC cannot make a decision until it has received a reply from UN Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura, the spokesman told AFP and Al-Arabiya television.

"Whether we say 'yes' or 'no' depends on the reply of de Mistura," which could come overnight, Meslet said.

The committee is seeking clarification from the UN particularly on humanitarian issues. "This is important," Meslet said.

The Riyadh meeting is scheduled to resume at 10:00 am (0700 GMT) on Thursday.

Committee coordinator Riad Hijab said a UN Security Council resolution calling for an end to sieges of certain areas in Syria and the delivery of humanitarian aid "should not be ignored".

"It would not be possible to hold serious negotiations while war crimes are being committed against Syrians by foreign parties," he said in a statement.

The UN-brokered peace talks, the start of which has been rescheduled to Friday, have been delayed over who will represent the opposition.

The HNC insists it should be the sole opposition delegation.

But several opposition figures who do not belong to the body told AFP on Tuesday they have also been invited to the talks.

Moscow, a supporter of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and which in September launched air strikes in support of his regime, has criticised Hijab's coalition as unrepresentative.