The chief of Syria’s main opposition body on Monday rejected Russia’s proposal of putting in place a federal system in the war-torn country, calling it “unacceptable” and warning that it would lead to partition.
“Syria’s unity is a red line. This issue is non-negotiable and the idea of federalism is the prelude to the partitioning of Syria,” the head of the High Negotiations Committee Riad Hijab said in a conference call with reporters.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said last week that he could not rule out establishing a federal system in Syria if that could help safeguard its unity.
“I cannot assess how likely it is that a federal state would be created in Syria, because the process of defining Syria’s future has not yet begun,” Russian news agency Ria Novosti reported Ryabkov as saying.