Saudi Arabia to host 'expanded' Syrian opposition conference
Saudi Arabia will host what it called an "expanded" conference for the Syrian opposition this month, aiming to unify its position ahead of United Nations-backed peace talks, the state news agency SPA reported on Monday.
Saudi Arabia backs a grouping of opposition figures called the High Negotiations Committee (HNC) led by Riyad Hijab, a former Syrian prime minister under Assad. The HNC has represented the Syrian opposition at previous Geneva talks.
A number of other political opposition groups and figures backed by other countries including Russia and Egypt also exist.
