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Russia hopes that the meeting on Syria will end the pause in addressing the crisis

22 February 2017 [17:37] - TODAY.AZ

By Azernews


By Kamila Aliyeva

Russia expects that the talks on Syrian issue in Geneva due later this week will end the dangerous prolonged pause in the intra-Syrian dialogue.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova announced about this in a press briefing on February 22.

Zakharova asserted that any attempts to cheat at intra-Syrian talks in Geneva will have a bad effect on the political process for resolving the crisis.

“We are certain that the positive experience gained in Astana will be capitalized on in the future,” Zakharova said.

The Astana talks on Syrian settlement were brokered by Russia, Turkey, and Iran and took place in the Kazakh capital on January 23-24. They marked the first time since the beginning of Syrian civil war in 2011 when the government of Syria and the armed opposition sat together at the negotiations table.

The resumption of peace talks under the auspices of the UN was rescheduled February 20 to February 23.  UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Syria Staffan De Mistura previously said the agenda at the talks would mirror the objectives outlined in UN Security Council Resolution 2254 from December 2015. The talks will focus on a new constitution, free and fair elections administered under the supervision of the United Nations, and transparent and accountable governance.

Zakharova further stressed that ensuring proper representation of the Syrian opposition, as it is required by the UN Security Council’s Resolution 2254, is a precondition for intra-Syrian dialogue and its productiveness, adding “any attempts to cheat somewhere to cater to the interests of those who do not wish to see peace and unity in Syria will have a bad effect on the continuity and productiveness of the political process.”

Sergei Vershinin, the Russian Foreign Ministry’s special envoy for the Middle East settlement and head of the Middle East and North Africa department, will represent Moscow at the intra-Syrian talks in Geneva.

Zakharova also affirmed that the Russian armed forces will go ahead with providing support for the Syrian Army in its battle against ISIS and Jabhat al-Nusra.

De Mistura earlier said the crisis in Syria may be settled this year. He explained his optimism by the fact that the ceasefire in the country, announced in December, is being observed in general.

Armed conflict continues in Syria since March 2011. Government troops are confronted by militants of different armed rebel groups. Russia has begun airstrikes on terrorist facilities in Syria since 30 September 2015. The Russian military involvement follows an official request from President Bashar Assad to President Vladimir Putin.

The UN has repeatedly tried and failed to end the Syrian conflict, which has killed 300,000 and displaced 11 million since it began five years ago.

URL: http://www.today.az/news/regions/158862.html

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