UN Syria Special Representative Lakhdar Brahimi has clarified the programme of the Geneva II conference to be held in Montreux on 22 January. Brahimi said it had not proved possible to convince the US as regards the participation of Iran. Brahimi announced the list of those countries and international organisations that would take part.

Agreement has not been reached between Russia and the United States over the subject of Iranian participation in Geneva II.

Speaking in the UN Geneva office after a series of planning meetings for the conference which is to be held on 22 January 2014,  Brahimi said discussions would continue on the subject of Iranian participation, it being the only subject where agreement had not been reached.

Special Representative Lakhdar Brahimi said that in addition to the 5 Permanent Members of the Security Council, the Arab League, European Union, Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, Algeria, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Egypt, Germany, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Norway, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates would attend the conference.

Brahimi said that the Syrian opposition was not yet ready to announce who would be in their delegations.

The Syrian National Coalition for Syrian Opposition and Revolutionary Forces announced in a statement that it was continuing talks in Syria and abroad with other opposition groups.
The conference that will commence in Montreux on 22 January with the participation of invited countries and international organisations, will continue with negotiations between Brahimi and the Syrian parties in Geneva on 24 January.  

As for the Kurds, they are continuing talks in order to send a joint delegation to the conference. Meetings are being held in Hewler between the West Kurdistan People's Assembly (MGRK) and the Syrian Kurdish National Council (SKNC), and the largest party in West Kurdistan, the PYD, began contacts in Geneva on 19 December. Meanwhile, the leader of the Syrian National Coalition, Ahmad al-Jarba, has told the AFP that  the SKNC could attend the Geneva II conference as part of the coalition.