The long-awaited conference was billed as a "rare historical opportunity" to rebuild the country after 14 years of civil war.

Although the conference was called to chart the country’s future, the Kurdish-led militia that controls much of Syria’s northeast was not invited.

The Kurdish National Council (ENKS/KNC) on Wednesday condemned the exclusion of Kurds from the National Dialogue Conference in Damascus, describing it as a “bad sign” and urging further inclusivity.