Syrian National Coalition President al-Jarba announced today that their General Assembly had voted in favour of participating in the Geneva II talks.

The Foreign Secretary William Hague said:

I welcome the decision by the National Coalition to participate in the Geneva II talks. All who share their vision of a democratic and pluralist Syria need to join together in support. The National Coalition reached this difficult decision against the backdrop of continued brutal regime attacks on Syrian civilians, and the deliberate blocking of humanitarian aid.

The UN Secretary General has made clear that the aim of the talks is to agree a political transition and an end to the conflict. In contrast to the National Coalition, the Syrian regime has still not agreed to this aim. As I have said many times, any mutually agreed settlement means that Assad can play no role in Syria’s future.