CAIRO: Syria's opposition factions called Saturday for "radical democratic change" in the war-torn country ahead of April talks aimed at unifying their plan for a political solution to the conflict.
In a two-day conference held in Cairo, the regime-tolerated opposition met with members of the exiled National Coalition and agreed on a 10-point vision, as well as announcing fresh talks slated for April.
The groups agreed that "any negotiation process should lead to... a democratic regime and a sovereign civil state," according to a joint statement.
They added that any political solution to Syria's four-year civil war "must guarantee a radical democratic change that criminalises violence and sectarianism".
The National Coalition was informally represented in Cairo by several members, including Ahmed Jarba, a former coalition chief who is close to Saudi Arabia.
A Coalition source had earlier said its members were not attending the Cairo meet in an official capacity.
The next opposition general conference "aims at agreeing on a unified political vision and to unify the opposition's efforts," said Saleh al-Nebwani, member of the regime-tolerated domestic National Coordination Committee for Democratic Change.