Syria's main opposition grouping was Thursday to discuss the divisive issue of whether it should negotiate with the regime of President Bashar al-Assad, dpa reported.
Moaz al-Khatib, the head of the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces, recently offered to hold talks with government officials without "blood on their hands."
His proposal has drawn criticism from members of the opposition group who insist that unless al-Assad leaves power.
Al-Khatib said it was not a move to "surrender" but that his aim was to ease the suffering of the Syrian people.
He made the offer conditional on the release of some 160,000 prisoners held in Syria and the renewal of passports for opposition politicians stranded abroad.
"We will discuss very important issues, including the initiative launched by al-Khatib and the possibility of forming a transitional government," said Haytham al-Maleh, a member of the coalition.
He said the Cairo meeting would also address all other ideas to possibly end Syria's nearly two-year conflict, which has claimed at least 70,000, according to UN estimates.