Wednesday 22 January 2014 14.03 US Secretary of State John Kerry has told the Geneva 2 conference in Switzerland there was "no way" Syrian President Bashar al-Assad can be part of a transitional government.
Representatives of Mr Assad's government and of those opposed to his regime are attending the event.
Mr Kerry told delegates that the Syrian president cannot retain legitimacy to govern.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said internal opposition in Syria should be part of national dialogue and that Iran should be part of international dialogue.
Earlier, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said the Syrian parties "can make a new beginning".
He told representatives of Syria's opposing sides and of those of around 40 nations that this "conference is your opportunity to show unity".
Calling the challenges ahead great but not insurmountable, he called for immediate access for aid to areas under siege.
United Nations mediator Lakhdar Brahimi said he hoped that detailed discussions, which begin in Geneva on Friday, will lead to a settlement.
A day of formal speeches under UN auspices at a hotel on Lake Geneva has raised no great expectations, particularly among Islamist rebels on Syria's frontlines.
Underlining the seemingly intractable positions, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem said yesterday that Mr Assad's position was non-negotiable.
"The subject of the president and the regime is a red line for us and the Syrian people and will not be touched," he was quoted as saying in Syrian media.
He told delegates today that Syria will do what it takes to defend itself in ways that it deems appropriate.
He also called on the international community to stop pouring arms into Syria and supporting terrorism and urged the lifting of sanctions.
Mr Moualem also warned that the conflict "will not stop in Syria", but will affect all neighbouring countries.
Mr Lavrov, co-sponsor of the conference with Mr Kerry, repeated Moscow's opposition to "outside players" meddling in Syria's affairs but he also said Iran - Mr Assad's main foreign backer -should have a say.
Mr Kerry, in his brief speech to the floor, said negotiations would be "tough and complicated" but insisted there was "no way" Mr Assad could stay on with a transitional government.
"One man can no longer hold an entire nation or region hostage," Mr Kerry said, while also adding there would be no room in government for "terrorists" among the rebel forces.
A flap over a now withdrawn last-minute invitation to Iran also highlighted tensions between the West and Russia and the sectarian rift in the Middle East between Sunni Arabs who support the rebels and the Shia rulers in Tehran.
Iranian president Hassan Rouhani said the talks are unlikely to be successful.
"Because of the lack of influential players in the meeting, I doubt about the Geneva 2 meeting's success in fighting against terrorism ... and its ability to resolve the Syria crisis," Mr Rouhani said.
"The Geneva 2 meeting has already failed without it even being started."
The release on the eve of the talks of thousands of photographs apparently showing prisoners tortured and killed by the Syrian government reinforced opposition demands that Mr Assad must quit and face a war crimes trial.
The president, who succeeded his father 14 years ago, insists he can win re-election and wants to talk about fighting "terrorism".
Mr Assad has been protected by Russia, his main arms supplier, which dislikes Western attempts to overthrow incumbent leaders.
But Washington and Moscow share alarm at the spread of the violence that has already killed more than 130,000 Syrians.
Presidents Vladimir Putin and Barack Obama had a "businesslike" conversation on the issue by phone yesterday.
UN diplomats believe the talks could initially bring at least some relief for Syrian civilians, by improving aid flows, as well as setting up prisoner exchanges.
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