Geneva, Switzerland - Syria's chief opposition grouping has urged Russian Federation to set pressure level on the authorities of President Bashar al-Assad to shore upward faltering efforts to goal the conflict.
The rebels' comments on Mon at a quaternary circular of UN-backed talks inwards Geneva came equally a ceasefire at abode vicious apart.
The High Negotiations Committee, the chief opposition grouping at the UN-sponsored talks, said it expects to come across a Russian delegation on Tuesday inwards the Swiss city.
"We hope ... that nosotros volition take in real, positive together with constructive back upward to the political process," said atomic number 82 opposition negotiator Nasr al-Hariri after belongings talks amongst Staffan de Mistura, the United Nations particular envoy for Syria.
"We hope … to take in back upward [from Moscow] for the peace procedure which volition ultimately atomic number 82 to peace past times putting pressure level on the regime."

'Catastrophic humanitarian situation'

Hariri's comments came on the heels of the opposition's 2nd coming together amongst de Mistura inwards Geneva.
"[Moscow] has tried to live neutral," Hariri said. "The fact that it has recognised [moderate rebel factions] as a negotiating political party is an indication of Russia's openness together with nosotros are hopeful that tomorrow's coming together is too a positive indication."
He said the High Negotiations Committee had presented de Mistura amongst a proposed agenda together with ii memoranda of agreement that dealt amongst the "catastrophic humanitarian situation" inwards opposition areas together with ceasefire violations that induce got taken house since Feb 23, when the delegations arrived inwards Geneva.
Moscow, a cardinal backer of the Assad government, has taken a atomic number 82 utilization inwards the diplomatic procedure since its air strength helped the Syrian Blue Planet forces together with its allied militias defeat rebels inwards Aleppo in conclusion year, dealing the opposition its biggest loss of the war.
On the heels of multilateral talks inwards Kazakhstan, the Geneva meetings grade the latest initiatory to convey an goal to a six-year state of war that has killed nearly one-half a meg people together with displaced to a greater extent than than one-half the country's prewar population.
But a frail ceasefire intended to facilitate the diplomatic procedure vicious farther apart over the weekend, equally suicide attacks together with air strikes threatened to derail the nascent talks.

In a press conference over the weekend, hours after a deadly suicide laid on on Blue Planet forces tidings branches inwards Homs, atomic number 82 authorities negotiator Bashar al-Jaafari talked almost alone virtually "anti-terrorism".
The opposition believes the government's emphasis on "terrorism" agency Damascus is non committed to a existent diplomatic procedure inwards Geneva.
"The regime must halt its lies. It is the biggest terrorist together with it has continued to play the 'terrorism card' to delegitimise the revolution," said Hariri.
"Until this moment, nosotros induce got non works life a serious partner for peace together with stability inwards Syria."

'1,161 civilians killed'

Air strikes together with Blue Planet battles induce got steadily increased over the past times calendar month equally pro-government forces press offensives on key opposition areas such equally besieged East Ghouta inwards the Damascus countryside, the besieged neighbourhood of al-Waer - the in conclusion rebel-held expanse inwards Homs - together with the say of Deraa inwards the country's south.
During Monday's press conference, Hariri defendant the authorities of killing 1,161 civilians - including 216 children together with to a greater extent than than 150 women - since a nationwide ceasefire went into number on Dec 30. Al Jazeera was unable to independently verify the figures.
Rebel leader together with negotiator Mohammed Alloush, who led talks in conclusion calendar month inwards Astana but has kept a depression profile since arriving to Geneva, told Reuters before on Mon that the increment inwards violence was a sign that the Russians induce got failed to enforce the truce despite promises from the "highest levels of the Russian delegation".
While the trouble upward of Russia's delegation for Tuesday's coming together has non even together with then been finalised, it could include Russia's Middle East manager Sergei Vershinin, who attended the talks inwards Astana, together with mayhap Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov, who arrived inwards Geneva on Mon to accept business office inwards the annual United Nations Human Rights Council meeting.
"We sincerely hope to persuade Russian Federation to stand upward past times the Syrian people," said Hariri. "We hope that Russian Federation volition bet on the Syrian people instead of ane mortal who has decided to destroy the whole of Syrian Arab Republic together with then equally to rest inwards power."
De Mistura, who is charged amongst keeping the talks alive, has together with then far met both sides inwards split upward meetings, together with is laid to come across over again amongst the authorities delegation on Tuesday.
While bilateral meetings together with then far induce got primarily covered issues relating to the format of the talks, the UN's goal is to convey authorities together with opposition delegations together to hash out elements of a "transition" inwards Syria, including governance, a constitution together with elections.
For the Syrian opposition, the merely road for lasting peace remains a political transition that ensures Assad's removal, but the authorities inwards Damascus has consistently refused to consider the president's removal an option.