The National Coalition for Syrian Revolution and Opposition Forces announced yesterday that it received an official invitation from Saudi Arabia to attend a conference which will be held in Riyadh and discuss the formation of a united delegation for the opposition to negotiate with the regime. The date of the conference is yet to be set, however sources indicate that it might start on the 7th or 11th of this month.

Ahmad Ramadhan, a member of the National Coalition said in a statement to Asharq Al-Awsat, that the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Foreign Affairs “invited 65 members of the Syrian opposition to attend the conference in Riyadh”. He also announced that 20 people from the Coalition, 7 people from the National Coordination Body for Democratic Change, between 10 and 15 military leaders and between 20 and 25 independent individuals, businessmen and religious clerics have been invited.

Sources revealed that the invitation has been extended to 12 armed opposition groups which are comprised of more than 10,000 fighters, and each group is represented by at least one person. These groups are: the Free Syrian Army (FSA), Fastaqim Kama Umirta, the Al-Jabhat al-Asala wal-Tanmiya, the Thuwar al-Sham, Jabhat Ashamiyya, Harakat Nour al-Din al-Zenki, Faylak al-Rahman, Faylak ashaam, Al-Ittihaad al-islaami liajnaad ashaam, Jaish al-Islam and other groups.

The United Nations special envoy for the Syria crisis Staffan de Mistura announced on the 21st of December that Saudi Arabia will host a meeting in the middle of December which will bring together Syrian armed groups and political opposition to the Syrian regime to set up a common platform for the opposition before entering future negotiations for peace.

The meeting in Riyadh is supposed to achieve a more united opposition in the upcoming negotiations in order to end the strife. Iran, on the other hand, is providing financial and military support to the Syrian regime and describes all armed Syrian opposition factions as “terrorists”.