Global Security Newswire

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Tuesday said he anticipates that a planned international conference on negotiating an end to the Syrian civil war will be convened early next month, Reuters reported.

The 2-year-old conflict is believed to have caused more than 70,000 deaths and has produced claims by both sides of chemical weapons use.

Speaking to journalists in Sweden, Kerry rejected rumors that the Bashar Assad government would not participate in the conference, which Russia and the United States have agreed to jointly work on convening.

"If he decides not to come to the table, it would be another one of President Assad's gross miscalculations," the secretary said. "I don't believe that that is the case at this moment."

Syrian Information Minister Omran al-Zoubi on Tuesday said the regime needed more details on the planned forum prior to making a determination on whether to participate, the Associated Press reported. Attendance by Damascus "depends on knowing the details and developments," the official added.

Syria's leadership and form of government are issues that can only be determined by the "Syrian people and ballot boxes," he insisted.

There is deep skepticism about a positive outcome from the potential conference, Reuters reported. "The ideas of reconciliation are now unrealistic. The conflict is as much about the conflict itself than pro- or anti-regime," said war studies professor Reinoud Leenders of King's College, London.  "I see a total mismatch between the U.S. and Russian narrative and what is going on in Syria."

Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was expected to bring up his concerns with a reported planned Russian delivery of advanced air-defense systems to Damascus when he meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, AP separately reported.

Netanyahu after the talks did not detail how Putin had responded on the matter, Reuters reported.