Sides to Syria Talks Should Compromise Without Hurting National Interests

MOSCOW (Sputnik), Svetlana Alexandrova — Abdessattar Ben Moussa, 2015 Nobel Peace Prize recipient, called, in an interview with Sputnik, on the parties to the Syrian reconciliation talks in Geneva to seek compromise, but not at the expense of the country’s interests and the aspirations of the Syrian people.

Geneva is currently hosting talks between the Syrian government's delegation and opposition. Negotiators seek to put an end to the civil war that has been raging in the country since 2011.

"Any negotiations require mutual concessions by the sides, but under one condition: the interest of the country and the nation is a cornerstone for those concessions," Ben Moussa, who is also the president of the Tunisian Human Rights League, said.

Three opposition delegations are taking part in the negotiations: the High Negotiations Committee (HNC), which was formed in Saudi Arabia in December, the delegation formed following talks in Moscow and Cairo and the group formed after opposition talks at Hmeymim air base in Syria.

The ongoing round of the intra-Syrian talks is expected to last until March 24.

Abdessattar Ben Moussa said that Moscow’s withdrawal of armed forces from Syria is a wise, timely decision that would contribute to the return to peace in the war-torn country.

A week ago, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the pullout of the bulk of the Russian contingent in Syria after a broad completion of its objectives. Russian air groups and other assets began returning to their home bases on Tuesday and throughout the week.

"I think it was an appropriate, timely and wise decision, because any military intervention leads to the deaths of the civilian population," Abdessattar Ben Moussa said.

Since launching the anti-terrorist mission at Syrian President Bashar Assad’s request on September 30, Russia’s Sukhoi Su-25, Su-24M and Su-34 attack aircraft, with the support of Su-30 jets, conducted thousands of sorties that set back and disrupted terrorist organizations from advancing in the Arab republic.

Abdessattar Ben Moussa is a member of the Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet that received the 2015 Nobel Peace Prize as recognition of its efforts to settle a political crisis following a revolution in Tunisia through the peaceful transition to democracy.