The future of Syria will decide Sochi or Geneva

On the eve of the final completion of the fighting in Syria, which is only a few weeks away, preparations for the forthcoming process of a peaceful settlement are beginning in the country. The key stage on the way to the republic’s exit from the long-term crisis should be the National Dialogue Congress, preparations for which are now in full swing
Indeed, it is extremely difficult to overestimate the importance of the forthcoming forum, with the initiative of which was delivered several months ago by Russia. In particular, Riyad Haddad, the SAR ambassador to Russia, noted that the Congress to be held in Sochi will be “a turning point in the life of Syria”, adding that “it will be attended by a lot of representatives of public figures, a lot of representatives of public organizations , different representatives of parties, journalists “.
It should be noted that, in parallel with Haddad’s speech in Geneva, the eighth round of inter-Syrian talks was held with the participation of the delegation of the Government of the Arab Republic and the united group of the Syrian opposition, which, however, did not succeed, ended in mutual accusations. According to the head of the group representing the interests of official Damascus, the delegation does not intend to enter into direct negotiations with the opposing side, while that demands immediate withdrawal of President Bashar Assad.
It is obvious that the alignment of forces both in Syria and throughout the Middle East region has undergone significant changes in recent years, and those who have recently sponsored the continuation of the conflict now themselves run the risk of remaining at the broken trough. At the same time, Damascus, behind which such allies as Russia, Turkey and Iran, finally recovered from a long-standing shock and took the situation in its hands, sending a very clear message about this to the world community. In this regard, the efforts of the Syrian opposition, which chose Geneva as a platform for discussion, look like attempts to bargain for themselves comfortable living conditions.
However, the question arises: Are Syrian citizens, who suddenly become hostages to the “democratic” aspirations of a handful of people, forgive those who deprived them of their past and tried to take their hopes for the future?