Geneva, January 24 (RHC)-- Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem says fighting terrorism must be the priority of the Geneva II Conference. Al-Muallem said that the fight against terrorism "paves the way for the start of the political process."

The official SANA news agency reported that the Syrian foreign minister dismissed the so-called Syrian National Council, which is supported by the West, stressing that the council does not represent the “Syrian opposition.”

The so-called Syrian National Council and its Western supporters, including the United States, insist that President Bashar al-Assad must step down and a transitional government be formed. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said during the conference that there was no room for Assad in the future government of Syria

Al-Muallem, however, dismissed the remarks in his speech, noting: “No one in the world has the right to confer or withdraw the legitimacy of a president, a constitution or a law, except for the Syrians themselves.” Al-Muallem also expressed regret that some countries attending the international conference “have the blood of Syrian people on their hands.”