Germany's Steinmeier says Syria talks to focus on ceasefire, aid

Record ID: 103167

  • Title: Germany's Steinmeier says Syria talks to focus on ceasefire, aid
  • Date: 17th May 2016
  • Summary: VIENNA, AUSTRIA (MAY 17, 2016) (REUTERS) ***WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** EXTERIOR OF BUILDING WHERE SYRIA TALKS ARE TO BE HELD / SECURITY AND CARS ARRIVING MEDIA AND SECURITY IRAN'S FOREIGN MINISTER MOHAMMAD JAVAD ZARIF ARRIVING VARIOUS OF MEDIA JORDANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER NASSER JUDEH ARRIVING MEDIA U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE JOHN KERRY ARRIVING CAMERAMEN FILMING RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER SERGEI LAVROV ARRIVING GERMAN FOREIGN MINISTER FRANK WALTER STEINMEIER WALKING TOWARDS MEDIA MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (German) GERMAN FOREIGN MINISTER, FRANK WALTER STEINMEIER, SAYING: "We must find a way back into the political process. It's about improving the conditions for the ceasefire and humanitarian aid so to win the opposition over to negotiate with the regime in Geneva, we have to see how to bring about a political change. That change is important as there is no lasting future with Assad to win for this country. That is why we have to try to find, here in Vienna, under the United Nations auspices, how to achieve an interim government that could be created and therefore to pave the way that this is not only an important but, also a successful meeting." EU DELEGATION ARRIVING HELICOPTER FLYING OVERHEAD MEETING VENUE WINDOWS MEDIA OUTSIDE VENUE MEMBERS OF THE INTERNATIONAL SYRIA SUPPORT GROUP DURING MEETING LAVROV, KERRY AND U.N. SPECIAL ENVOY TO SYRIA STAFFAN DE MISTURA SEATED VARIOUS OF DELEGATIONS SEATED PRESS LEAVING THE MEETING
  • Embargoed: 1st June 2016 08:47
  • Keywords: Syria ceasefire negotiations Austria Germany Steinmeier aid
  • Location: VIENNA, AUSTRIA
  • City: VIENNA, AUSTRIA
  • Country: Austria
  • Reuters ID: LVA0014I737LZ
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Major power talks on Syria aim to restore a truce across the country and get aid into besieged areas to encourage opposition groups to return to negotiations in Geneva, Germany's foreign minister said on Tuesday (May 17).
    "We must find a way back into the political process. It's about improving the conditions for the ceasefire and humanitarian aid so as to win the opposition over to negotiate with the regime in Geneva," Frank-Walter Steinmeier said in Vienna ahead of a meeting of 17 countries backing the talks.
    Steinmeier spoke before the United States, Russia, European powers and Middle Eastern states opened talks aimed at reviving a February "cessation of hostilities" agreement that managed to reduce fighting for almost two months.
    A recent surge in bloodshed in Aleppo, Syria's largest city before the war, wrecked the partial truce sponsored by Washington and Moscow that had allowed U.N.-brokered peace talks to convene in Geneva.
    The talks collapsed last month after the opposition walked away following an increase in violence. Diplomats say the U.N. special envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura hopes to launch a new round of negotiations by the end of May.
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