Pro-Assad Protest Outside Geneva II Conference Venue: Montreux

Local Editor

More than 100 pro-Assad protesters have gathered outside the venue for the Geneva II conference on Syria's crisis in the Swiss city of Montreux.
The protest took place on Wednesday and was organized by the European Solidarity Front for Syria. The protesters expressed support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
The demonstration occurred while delegates arrived for talks aimed at finding a political solution to the crisis.

In his opening statement during the conference, US Secretary of State John Kerry once again called for a regime change in Syria, insisting that President Bashar al-Assad should not be part of a transitional government.
Meanwhile, during his speech at the conference, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem rejected Kerry's assertion, saying only Syrians have the right to choose their president.

This is while, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov expressed his hope at the opening of the conference that all external players involved in the Syrian conflict would refrain from attempts to predetermine the outcomes of the conference, as well as any steps capable of disrupting the talks.

Source: Agencies