‘Saudi Arabia to host mid-December conference to unite Syria opposition’

DUBAI/BEIRUT — Saudi Arabia will host a conference in mid-December aimed at unifying the Syrian opposition, Saudi-owned television station Al Arabiya Al Hadath said on Thursday.

The conference comes after an international agreement to launch talks between government and opposition by January 1.

A Saudi government official said the conference is expected to take place on December 15.

International talks were held in Vienna last week in which countries involved, including Saudi Arabia, Iran, Turkey and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, laid out a plan including formal talks between the government and opposition by January 1.

Diplomatic sources said after those talks that Saudi Arabia, which backs Syria's insurgents seeking to topple Syrian President Bashar Assad, would hold a conference to unite the political opposition there. It was not immediately clear who will attend the conference.