DAMASCUS, Syria, Nov 16, (AP): Representatives of Syria’s civil society held rare open discussions Saturday in Damascus in the presence of officials from the European Union and the transitional government. They touched on sensitive topics including sectarian tensions, ethnic divisions and people killed by different sides. The EU-organized meetings known as "The Day of Dialogue” are the first to be held in Damascus after taking place in past years Brussels.

Saturday's meetings came nearly a year after the fall of the 54-year Assad family rule in Syria in a stunning offensive by insurgent groups in early December. The meetings that used to take place within the framework of the Brussels Conferences were mostly boycotted by then-President Bashar Assad’s government. The EU said Saturday's meetings were organized in cooperation with Syrian civil society and the Syrian transitional authorities.

"The meeting that used to be held to talk about Syria is now being held in Syria,” Syria’s Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani said in a speech at the opening session held at a conference center in the southern outskirts of Damascus. Al-Shibani added that Saturday’s meetings represent "a solid partnership with the civil society and our partners in the European Union.”

Michael Ohnmacht, chargé d’affaires of the EU delegation to Syria, said 500 people from Syria’s different religious and ethnic groups took part in the meetings and "this is something very positive.” "This is what we hope for Syria’s future, to see this inclusive state which will be a state in the form of all its citizens,” Ohnmacht said.

Despite the changes in Syria over the past year, sectarian violence in the country’s coastal region in March and the southern province of Sweida in July between pro-government gunmen and members of the country’s Druze and Alawite minorities left hundreds of people dead. Such acts of violence show that Syria still faces major crises in the 14-year conflict that has left half a million people dead.