No Geneva breakthrough in intra-Syrian talks

By Azernews

By Kamila Aliyeva

Geneva talks over the Syrian crisis did not achieve any tangible breakthrough, but they have not come to a dead end as well as they mostly served as a preliminary stage for more serious and in-depth negotiations anticipated to begin soon.

A Syrian official in the main opposition delegation taking part in the UN-mediated talks in Geneva said discussions will continue on March 3 with a focus on the issue of political transition in Syria, according to AP.

Nasr al-Hariri said that his delegation held "very positive" and detailed discussions with UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura on the issue of political transition in the war-torn country.

Al-Hariri also stated that “the political process is not an easy process, it cannot be concluded in one or two weeks, more effort and more time is needed” and stressed that his delegation was willing to keep negotiating.

Head of the Syrian government delegation to Geneva talks Bashar Jaafari, in turn, stated that progress of the talks must not be held hostage to the position of the Riyadh platform.

Jaafari accused the High Negotiations Committee (HNC) - the main opposition group formed in the Saudi capital - of refusing to unify with two smaller opposition groups.

"We heard statements issued by Riyadh platform, which rejected the inclusion of the issue of combating terrorism as the fourth on the agenda (at the intra-Syrian talks)," he said at a press conference after a meeting with UN special envoy with Staffan de Mistura on March 2.

Jaafari added that Riyadh delegation will be responsible for any failure of Geneva talks.

Earlier, the delegation of HNC stated that the fight against terrorism is not a priority at intra-Syrian talks in Geneva as this topic can be discussed in Astana, the official spokesman of the delegation Salem al-Muslim stated. 

The "difficult" topic of fighting terrorism may be assigned to the transitional government in Syria, when it is established, a member of the HNC delegation at the Geneva talks Abdulhakim Bashar said. That’s why the opposition delegation offers to focus on the issue of transition for now.

De Mistura has had a week of bilateral talks with both the Syrian government and opposition groups, which have yet to formally sign off on the agenda he proposed.

The fourth round of the UN-backed intra-Syrian talks between the government and opposition factions in Geneva will end on March 3, the new round is scheduled for March 20.

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