- Title: Head of Syrian government delegation says they came to Astana "to succeed"
- Date: 23rd January 2017
- Summary: ASTANA, KAZAKHSTAN (JANUARY 23, 2017) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF RIXOS HOTEL HEAD OF SYRIAN GOVERNMENT DELEGATION, BASHAR AL-JAAFARI, ARRIVING TO SPEAK TO MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (English) HEAD OF SYRIAN GOVERNMENT DELEGATION, BASHAR AL-JAAFARI, SAYING: "We came to Astana to succeed and I said in Arabic before, a couple of minutes ago, that we will not be part of any manoeuvre aiming at torpedoing the meeting of Astana." JAAFARI TALKING TO MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (English) HEAD OF SYRIAN GOVERNMENT DELEGATION, BASHAR AL-JAAFARI, SAYING: "Nusra front according to the Security Council is a terrorist entity so you cannot defend a terrorist entity and you cannot qualify the military operations of the Syrian Arab Army against these terrorists who are depriving seven million people from drinking water as an act which is not in line with the agreement. This is wrong, this is what I mean by "misinterpreting the agreement". MEDIA JAAFARI LEAVING
- Embargoed: 6th February 2017 13:43
- Keywords: Syria Kazakhstan Astana talks government Al-Jaafari
- Location: ASTANA, KAZAKHSTAN
- City: ASTANA, KAZAKHSTAN
- Country: Kazakhstan
- Topics: Diplomacy/Foreign Policy,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA00160AXYRR
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: The head of the Syrian government delegation at Astana talks, Bashar al-Jaafari said on Monday (January 23) his delegation came to Kazakhstan "to succeed" and will not be a part of any manoeuvre that might jeopardise the talks.
"We came to Astana to succeed and I said in Arabic before, a couple of minutes ago, that we will not be part of any manoeuvre aiming at torpedoing the meeting of Astana," Jaafari told media after the talks opening session.
Syria's warring sides met for talks for the first time in nine months on Monday, with frosty initial exchanges suggesting chances of a significant breakthrough were slim as the country's six-year-old conflict ground on.
They sat opposite each other at a round table in a conference hall of Astana Rixos hotel at the start of the negotiations sponsored by Russia, Turkey and Iran.
Representatives of the both delegations told media that negotiations will be focused on the ceasefire, a fragile precursor to a wider political solution.
But Bashar al-Jaafari, the head of the delegation representing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, said negotiators for the rebel forces had been rude and unprofessional, accusing them of defending "war crimes" committed by Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, the militant group formerly known as Nusra Front.
"Nusra front according to the Security Council is a terrorist entity so you cannot defend a terrorist entity and you cannot qualify the military operations of the Syrian Arab Army against these terrorists who are depriving seven million people from drinking water as an act which is not in line with the agreement. This is wrong, this is what I mean by "misinterpreting the agreement", Jaafari said.
A rebel source said opposition representatives planned to negotiate with the government side only via intermediaries.
There were no senior government figures among the delegations in Astana and Kazakhstan's foreign ministry said it expected the meetings to be over by midday on Tuesday.
Some observers said the talks, which UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura is attending, could help jump-start UN-led negotiations that were suspended in late April.
De Mistura said it was crucial to get a mechanism to oversee and implement a nationwide ceasefire in place to build confidence. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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