The Syrian government delegation led by U.N. Ambassador Bashar Ja'afari arrived on Friday for their first session of the latest round of peace talks in Geneva, where they faced pressure to negotiate terms for a political transition.
GENEVA: The Syrian government delegation led by U.N.
Ambassador Bashar Ja'afari arrived on Friday for their first session of
the latest round of peace talks in Geneva, where they faced pressure to
negotiate terms for a political transition.
They showed up six days after U.N. mediator Staffan de
Mistura had hoped to begin the negotiations, and with increased fighting
near Aleppo threatening to undermine the shaky truce that underpins the
talks. There was little sign of the government's main ally Russia
dialling down its military support.
A previous round of peace talks ended on March 24, with de
Mistura issuing a document on 12 common guiding principles and vowing to
focus the next round on a political transition that would draw a firm
line under the five-year-old civil war.
The main opposition delegation, the High Negotiations
Committee, has been in Geneva for two days. Its spokesman told Reuters
on Thursday that it was willing to share seats on a transitional
governing body with members of Syria's government, but President Bashar
al-Assad must leave power.
Syrian Information Minister Omran al-Zoubi said Assad's future was
not up for negotiation in Geneva or elsewhere, Russia's TASS news agency
quoted him as saying in Damascus."This issue should be decided by the Syrian people themselves in a democratic procedure. And they will never discuss it with anybody (else)," Zoubi said.
"We in Syria are discussing de Mistura’s document with all seriousness. Our delegation goes to Geneva with the answer to the questions put by de Mistura."
Rebel commanders from Syria said on Friday in Geneva they
still backed the talks but accused the Damascus government of trying to
shatter the ceasefire deal and urged world powers to judge whether it
remained viable.
A senior Western diplomat close to the talks said it was
clear that Syria's government had no intention to negotiate in good
faith. “The regime is doing everything it can to kill the negotiations,"
the diplomat said.
"If there was one moment when it shouldn’t launch an offensive (in
the Aleppo region) then it really shouldn’t be the day before the
government delegation arrives in Geneva."
The senior Western diplomat said the Assad government was
refusing to talk about transition. "De Mistura insists it is the only
agenda and that the 12 points from the previous round are done and
dusted. Let’s see how he plays it, but he can’t give the regime a window
to get out of this."
(Editing by Mark Heinrich)
- Reuters
Syrian government delegation joins Geneva talks under pressure to negotiate
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