U.N. mediator and Syrian opposition meet for talks in Geneva

Record ID: 343275

  • Title: U.N. mediator and Syrian opposition meet for talks in Geneva
  • Date: 1st March 2017
  • Summary: GENEVA, SWITZERLAND (MARCH 1, 2017) (REUTERS FOR AGENCY POOL) VARIOUS OF SYRIAN OPPOSITION DELEGATION MEMBERS, INCLUDING AL-HARIRI, WALKING INSIDE THE BUILDING SIGN READING (French): 'CONCORDIA' SYRIAN OPPOSITION NEGOTIATOR MOHAMMED ALLOUSH WALKING IN U.N. SPECIAL ENVOY FOR SYRIA STAFFAN DE MISTURA WELCOMING SYRIAN OPPOSITION DELEGATION AND SHAKING HANDS WITH AL-HARIRI AND
  • Embargoed: 15th March 2017 10:39
  • Keywords: Syria Geneva Staffan de Mistura peace negotiations talks opposition government United Nations
  • Location: GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
  • City: GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
  • Country: France
  • Topics: Government/Politics,United Nations
  • Reuters ID: LVA002664P6BR
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Syrian opposition delegation met again on Wednesday (March 1) with the United Nations Special Envoy Staffan de Mistura, as part of the intra-Syrian negotiations.
    The Geneva peace process has barely reached first gear, with five days of discussion solely on how to arrange the talks.
    The negotiations would only begin in earnest when the Syrian government starts discussing a transitional governing body and "the real transitional process in Syria", Salem al-Muslet, spokesman for the main opposition delegation, said on Tuesday (February 28).
    The Syrian opposition is expected to meet later on Wednesday in Geneva with the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov, and said on Tuesday they hoped that Russia would pressure its ally, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
    Gatilov said on Tuesday that a U.N. Security Council resolution put forward by Western powers to punish Syria's government over its alleged use of chemical weapons would harm the peace talks in Geneva.
    The resolution, vetoed by Russia and China, amid U.N.-led peace talks between the warring Syrian parties, had aimed to ban the supply of helicopters to the Syrian government and to blacklist Syrian military commanders.
    Russia is seen playing a key role because of its influence with Assad and because it has driven a new diplomatic push since December, when its air force helped defeat rebels in Aleppo, Assad's biggest victory in six years of war.
    The opposition has long distrusted Russia as a peace broker, and a ceasefire backed by Russia, Iran and Turkey has not entirely stopped the fighting.
    De Mistura has proposed to the negotiators in Geneva that the issue of fighting terrorism and the ceasefire should be handled in parallel talks in the Kazakh capital Astana, sponsored by Russia, Turkey and Iran.
    He wants the focus in Geneva to be a new constitution, U.N.-supervised elections and accountable governance, based on Security Council resolution 2254.
  • Copyright Holder: POOL (CAN SELL)
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