- Title: Russia, Turkey, Iran fail to agree on Syria de-escalation zones
- Date: 5th July 2017
- Summary: ASTANA, KAZAKHSTAN (JULY 5, 2017) (REUTERS) FINAL SESSION OF TALKS IN PROGRESS SYRIAN DELEGATION HEADED BY SYRIAN GOVERNMENT CHIEF NEGOTIATOR, BASHAR JA'AFARI, LISTENING VARIOUS OF SYRIAN ARMED OPPOSITION REPRESENTATIVES LISTENING SESSION IN PROGRESS UN SPECIAL ENVOY ON SYRIA, STAFFAN DE MISTURA, LISTENING IRANIAN DELEGATION HEADED BY DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER, HOSSEIN ANSARI JABARI LOBBY OF "RIXOS" HOTEL, VENUE OF TALKS CAMERAS BASHAR JA'AFARI SPEAKING TO MEDIA MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (English) SYRIAN GOVERNMENT CHIEF NEGOTIATOR, BASHAR JA'AFARI, SAYING (STARTS WITH SHOT OF MEDIA): "I wouldn't do that far by calling the very modest result as failure. But I would say that contrary to the positive start point taken by all the parties except by the Turkish delegation. There has been an indication that the Turkish policy towards Astana process has been a negative policy." CAMERAS (SOUNDBITE) (English) SYRIAN GOVERNMENT CHIEF NEGOTIATOR, BASHAR JA'AFARI, SAYING: "And that negativity in the Turkish policy process resulted in the modest outcome of Astana 5. I am saying that because the Turkish delegation objected to the adoption of any document related to the implementation of mechanisms of the agreement on the de-escalation zones." HEAD OF RUSSIAN DELEGATION, ALEXANDER LAVRENTYEV, SPEAKING TO MEDIA MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) HEAD OF RUSSIAN DELEGATION, ALEXANDER LAVRENTYEV, SAYING: "Of course, a decision about particular units that as a part of forces will be involved in control of the de-escalation hasn't been made yet. However, we can now confidently say that the important element of these units which will be deployed in the buffer areas along the de-escalation zones will be the Russian military police. I would like to emphasize that these are not the combat units of regular army, but the ones of military police with specific non-combat tasks." VARIOUS OF DE MISTURA LISTENING (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) HEAD OF RUSSIAN DELEGATION, ALEXANDER LAVRENTYEV, SAYING: "Without a decison to create these de-escalation zones we just cannot adopt a range of documents which would guarantee a normal operation of the de-escalation zones. However, I would like to tell you that de facto, of course, de-escalation zones exist." MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) HEAD OF RUSSIAN DELEGATION, ALEXANDER LAVRENTYEV, SAYING: "Jordan and the U.S. have influence on opposition groups on the south of Syria and of course it is impossible to talk about a creation of the de-escalation zone there without their participation in this process. " MEDIA DE MISTURA SPEAKING TO MEDIA MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (English) UN SPECIAL ENVOY ON SYRIA, STAFFAN DE MISTURA, SAYING: "There's been progress during these last three days, but we heard it from particularly ambassador Lavrentyev there is more time is needed and required." MEDIA / NEWS BRIEFING BY DE MISTURA IN PROGRESS EXTERIOR "RIXOS" HOTEL BUILDING SIGN "RIXOS" ON WINDOW
- Embargoed: 19th July 2017 20:38
- Keywords: Russia Syria Kazakhstan Syria Syria talks Astana talks Alexander Lavrentyev deescalation zones buffer zones
- Location: ASTANA, KAZAKHSTAN
- City: ASTANA, KAZAKHSTAN
- Country: Kazakhstan
- Topics: Diplomacy/Foreign Policy,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA0016OFXKCN
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Russia, Turkey and Iran failed in talks in Astana on Wednesday (July 5) to finalise an agreement on creating four de-escalation zones in Syria after Ankara raised objections, diplomats said.
Russia and Iran, which back President Bashar Assad's government, and Turkey, which supports some of the rebels, aim to reach a consensus on the zones by the end of August, when their delegations are set to meet again in the Kazakh capital.
The failure is a setback for Moscow, the main architect of the plan, as it seeks to take the lead in global efforts to settle the Syrian civil war.
Russia, Turkey and Iran have set up a working group to reconcile their positions before the next Astana meeting set for the final week of August. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2017. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None