Syria’s government and main political opposition have traded bitter accusations on the first day of a major peace conference in Switzerland.
The opposition and US said President Bashar al-Assad had no legitimacy and must step down from power.
Syria’s foreign minister had a terse exchange with the UN’s Ban Ki-moon over the length of his speech and said only Syrians could decide Mr Assad’s fate.
The conflict has left more than 100,000 dead and millions displaced.
The summit is discussing the Geneva communique which lays out a political transition plan for Syria.
Outside the conference venue, supporters of President Bashar al-Assad staged a protest
BBC News, Montreux
This first day of talks was always expected to be somewhat ceremonial, with one formal speech after another. But already predictable fault lines are emerging.
Syria’s Foreign Minister Walid Muallem said his country was engaged in a war against terrorist groups, adding that only the Syrian people could decide on President Assad’s future. The opposition leader Ahmad Jarba said the human rights violations in Syria were reminiscent of Nazi Germany, and suggested President Assad’s departure was a precondition for peace.
These two men won’t be in the negotiating room together until Friday, then the talking will be in private, but it’s expected to be equally tough.
Key figures here – including Ban Ki-moon, John Kerry, Sergei Lavrov and William Hague – have publicly reminded the warring parties of the real price of this conflict. An “all encompassing disaster” said the UN secretary general, which Russia’s foreign minister added had caused “incalculable suffering” to the Syrian people.
Wednesday’s initial meeting, involving speeches from 40 or so foreign ministers – has now ended. The direct talks are scheduled to begin in Geneva on Friday.
Mr Ban said it was “historic” to have both the Syrian government and opposition in one room, saying “we must seize this fragile chance”.
He said “the really hard work begins on Friday”, adding: “We have a difficult road ahead, but it can be done and it must be done.”
This would be the first face-to-face meeting between the Syrian government and the main opposition – the National Coalition – since the conflict began in 2011.
‘Inflammatory rhetoric’
The BBC’s Paul Wood, in Montreux, says there were some extraordinarily ill-tempered scenes and some very direct language as the conference got under way.
Syria’s Foreign Minister Walid Muallem said some states attending the talks had “Syrian blood on their hands” and called the opposition “traitors”.
Addressing US Secretary of State John Kerry, he said: “No-one in the world has the right to confer or withdraw the legitimacy of a president, a constitution or a law, except for the Syrians themselves.”
Mr Muallem ran far over the allotted 10-minute slot for each speaker, ignoring Mr Ban’s attempts to intervene.
Categories: Arab World, Asia, Syria, United Nations