Syrian opposition leaders say they will attend an international conference in Rome this week, after considering a boycott because of what they deemed a lack of action by other nations to end the violence in Syria.
In a statement on his Facebook page late Monday, Syrian National Coalition head Ahmed al-Khatib said his fellow opposition leaders had decided to stop their suspension of any visit to the Friends of Syria conference set for Thursday.
U.S. Vice President Joe Biden welcomed the decision, saying the meeting is an important opportunity for the opposition to share its view of the crisis. He told Khatib during a telephone call Monday that the conference will also be a way to discuss how to aid the opposition and the Syrian people.
The White House says new U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry will also meet with opposition members.
Kerry said Monday after talks in London with British Prime Minister David Cameron and Foreign Secretary William Hague that the continued violence in Syria is evidence that President Bashar al-Assad needs to leave office. He also condemned what he called the "indiscriminate killing" in "the strongest terms."
British Foreign Secretary Hague called for increased support for Syria's opposition, saying that "our policy cannot be static" in the face of the violence. Hague said that in the coming weeks Britain would be pushing for a new package of assistance to support the Syrian National Coalition.
In Moscow, Syria's Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem said that the Syrian government is open to dialogue with those who want to take part.