The leaders of the Syrian opposition in exile, including former Vice President Abdul Halim Khaddam and the observer of the Muslim Brotherhood Ali Sadr al-Din al-Bayanouni, met in the Belgian capital, Brussels, to discuss ways to change the regime peacefully.
Al Jazeera’s correspondent in Brussels reported that the participants in the meeting, which began on Thursday and will continue for two days, sought to establish a framework for Syrian national action and to establish mechanisms for change in Syria, led by Syrians and in a peaceful manner.
Syrian figures and representatives of the Syrian National Council and the Democratic Assembly in Europe and America are participating in the Brussels meetings.
An Approach to Change
Abdul Halim Khaddam stated that the purpose of the meeting was to discuss the situation in Syria and to seek an approach to change the regime in the country. He added in a statement to Al Jazeera that the participants in the meeting were external opponents of Syria, with no one from inside participating in order to protect them.
Al-Bayanouni denied any interference by any party in the Brussels meeting, which aims to consult on finding mechanisms that could bring about change in Syria, emphasizing that the meeting is limited to Syrians only.
Last month, Khaddam met in Brussels with the General Controller of the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood, which is banned in Syria, and the two men decided to contact Syrian opposition parties to intensify pressure on the regime in power in Damascus.
Khaddam, who has been living in exile in Paris since his resignation from his positions in power and the ruling Arab Socialist Ba’ath Party last June, is leading a media campaign to overthrow the Syrian regime.
