Syrian conflict: fifth round of UN peace talks on March 23 in Geneva
The UN Special Envoy briefed the Security Council on the outcome of the last face to face talks. De Mistura speaks of "positive" note, even if an agreement is still far off. Agenda planned which includes the form of government and terrorism. The US Ambassador to the UN wants to "expel Iran and its acolytes" from Syria.
Damascus (AsiaNews / Agencies) - The Syrian government and opposition groups have agreed on the resumption of peace talks under the auspices of the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland. According to reports from the UN special envoy to Syria, Staffan de Mistura, the next meeting - the fifth overall - is scheduled for March 23.
The previous round of talks ended last with some "positive" notes on March 3. However, a general agreement between the forces is still far away.
De Mistura has revealed the date of the next meeting, after illustrating the findings from the latest meetings to the United Nations Security Council. The goal is to end a war that flared up in March 2011, and has so far caused over 310 thousand deaths and millions of refugees.
The previous meetings have ended with the acceptance of the two warring parties of a "precise order of the day", which includes among others the form of government and the fight against terrorism. The other key points on which the discussion focuses are the draft of the new constitution and future elections.
The issue of terrorism has been inserted under pressure from the government delegation, which also considers all rebel groups and fighters "terrorists". For the United Nations groups excluded from peace talks: the Islamic state (IS) and the former Nusra Front, the al-Qaeda in the Arab country, are the only terrorist groups.
Despite having left more and more space in the years to Russia as a driving force in the diplomatic process - Moscow, along with Tehran and Ankara have sponsored the first face-to-face meeting between the parties in Astana - the United States have pledged their support for a "political solution". "We continue to watch the current process, we support it and we want a solution" said the US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley.
The head of the US diplomacy at the United Nations declined to answer questions about the political and personal future of President Bashar al-Assad. However, he did not spare a dig at Tehran, expressing hopes that Syria is no longer "a sanctuary for terrorists" and, more importantly, that "Iran and its acolytes are removed."
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04/03/2017 13:26
01/03/2017 09:54
