- Title: Syrian government negotiator calls Astana talks a success
- Date: 24th January 2017
- Summary: ASTANA, KAZAKHSTAN (JANUARY 24, 2017) (REUTERS) **** WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY **** SYRIAN GOVERNMENT DELEGATION, LED BY CHIEF NEGOTIATOR BASHAR JA'AFARI, BEING SEATED AHEAD OF NEWS CONFERENCE CAMERAS WITH JA'AFARI ON THE DISPLAY (SOUNDBITE) (English) SYRIAN GOVERNMENT CHIEF NEGOTIATOR, BASHAR JA'AFARI, SAYING: "The issue here is not about who is happy and who is not happy. The issue here is that finally we have a consensual paper called final communique, or final declaration, agreed upon by everybody. This is a result, this is what we should care about." DELEGATES ON STAGE (SOUNDBITE) (English) SYRIAN GOVERNMENT CHIEF NEGOTIATOR, BASHAR JA'AFARI, SAYING: "Those who say that they are not happy because of the negative role of this party or that party, whether it is Iran or elsewhere, they are fishing in the murky waters - as we say in good English. Iran is one of the three guarantors, one of the three guarantors, equally to Russia and Turkey. And Iran played a positive role in facilitating reaching this final formula that is expressed, as I said, in the final declaration." MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (English) SYRIAN GOVERNMENT CHIEF NEGOTIATOR, BASHAR JA'AFARI, SAYING: "It is really pitiful to hear that some members of the delegation of the armed terrorist groups who attended the Astana meeting and accepted the terms of the 29th December agreements, it is pitiful that they are criticising one of the three guarantors who facilitated reaching this success, which is represented as I said and expressed by the final communique." MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (English) SYRIAN GOVERNMENT CHIEF NEGOTIATOR, BASHAR JA'AFARI, SAYING: "As long as there are terrorists depriving seven million people in the capital of Damascus from drinking water the army will continue the operations (in Wadi Barada)." WIDE OF NEWS CONFERENCE
- Embargoed: 7th February 2017 14:36
- Keywords: Syria Mideast crisis Astana Kazakhstan peace talks Bashar Ja'afari communique
- Location: ASTANA, KAZAKHSTAN
- City: ASTANA, KAZAKHSTAN
- Country: Kazakhstan
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace
- Reuters ID: LVA00160FYEDJ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: The Syrian government delegation views the Astana talks as a "success", chief negotiator Bashar Ja'afari said on Tuesday (January 24), expressing support for a joint statement by Iran, Turkey and Russia.
"The issue here is not about who is happy and who is not happy. The issue here is that finally we have a consensual paper called final communique, or final declaration, agreed upon by everybody," he told reporters, referring to the joint statement.
"Those who say that they are not happy because of the negative role of this party or that party, whether it is Iran or elsewhere, they are fishing in the murky waters," he said when asked about reports that Syrian opposition delegates were unhappy with the conclusion of the talks.
"It is really pitiful to hear that some members of the delegation of the armed terrorist groups who attended the Astana meeting and accepted the terms of the 29th December agreements, it is pitiful that they are criticising one of the three guarantors who facilitated reaching this success," he added.
Violence flared near Damascus on Tuesday as Syrian government forces clashed with rebels in the Wadi Barada area in their latest attempt to advance there, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
The Wadi Barada area has recently become the most intense battlefront in the Syrian civil war.
Asked if the Syrian government would continue its offensive in the area despite the risk of undermining the Astana talks, Ja'afari said: "As long as there are terrorists depriving seven million people in the capital of Damascus from drinking water the army will continue the operations (in Wadi Barada)." - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2017. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None