GENEVA: Syria’s regime on Monday reiterated its stance that peace talks in Geneva will not address President Bashar al-Assad’s future, after the UN urged Damascus to submit plans for political transition.

“President Assad has nothing to do with the... talks,” lead government negotiator Bashar al-Jaafari told journalists.

Jaafari insisted that political transition in the war-ravaged country and Assad’s fate were “two separate issues”. “The references of our talks do not give any indication whatsoever with regard to the president of the Syrian Arab Republic,” he said.

Assad’s future “is something that is already excluded from the scene”, Jaafari said, following his meeting with United Nations mediator Staffan de Mistura.

The main opposition High Negotiations Committee (HNC) has made Assad’s departure a non-negotiable demand before any peace deal can be agreed.

De Mistura has described political transition as “the mother of all issues” standing in the way of a breakthrough, but has not directly addressed the Assad question.

Published in Dawn, March 22nd, 2016