The
Syrian government and the opposition forces have agreed a
"clear agenda" to seek to end the country's six-year-old war,
the UN mediator said Friday at the end of sometimes fractious and
slow-moving talks in Geneva.
Veteran
envoy Staffan de Mistura said he hopes to invite both sides back to Geneva
later this month for a new round of talks, which will include the issue of
counter-terrorism at the request of Damascus.
"The
train is ready, it is in the station, it is warming up the engine. Everything
is ready, it just needs an accelerator," he said at the end of nine days
of talks in the Swiss city.
"I believe
that we have a clear agenda now in front of us," he told
reporters, adding: "We did discuss procedure, but we also discussed
substance."
Seventh year of war
The
Geneva negotiations, the first since last April, were the latest effort to seek
to end a conflict that began in March 2011 with protests against Syrian
President Bashar al-Assad. Its seventh year begins on March 15.
Since
then more than 310,000 people have been killed and hundreds of thousands have
fled the country, fueling instability in neighboring countries and creating
Europe's biggest migrant crisis since World War Two.
The
warring Syrian sides have been joined in Geneva by envoys of key parties
including notably Russia, a major ally of Damascus.
But as
in previous talks, the focus was almost exclusively on the agenda.
Under
UN Security Council Resolution 2254, they should be framed in three
"baskets" or areas of discussion: governance, constitution and elections.
But
Damascus pushed hard for counter-terrorism strategy to be added to
the agenda, against fierce resistance from the opposition who said the
Syrian government was "stalling" the talks to avoid
engaging with political transition.
Astana, Geneva talks
The
Geneva peace talks are running in parallel with negotiations in
Astana, Kazakhstan, which are focused on maintaining a fragile ceasefire
brokered in December.
A new
Astana meeting is expected to take place before the next Geneva talks.
"Astana and Geneva are complementing themselves, and reinforcing each
other," said the UN envoy.
The
main opposition High Negotiating Committee (HNC) said the latest
Geneva talks were "more positive" than previous rounds.
"We
are closing this round without (a) clear result... but I can say this
time was more positive," HNC delegation chief Nasr al-Hariri told
reporters.
"It
was the first time we discussed in an acceptable depth the issues of the future
of Syria and political transition," he added after
the talks, the fourth mediated by the UN.
The
antagonism has been clear in briefings after each session
of talks with de Mistura, with the Syrian government delegation chief
Bashar al-Jaafari lashing out at "terrorists" in the HNC.
The
HNC meanwhile lamented the lack of a genuine "partner
for peace".
The talks had
hardly begun last weekend when they were rocked by a suicide assault which
killed dozens in Syria's third city Homs, triggering a demand from
al-Jaafari that fighting terrorism be made a "priority" in
Geneva.
No direct talks yet
Speaking
at the end of the talks, the UN mediator conceded that for the moment
face-to-face talks are unlikely. "We will pursue that when we
feel the moment is right," he said.
But he
held up a photograph of the opening ceremony of the talks last
Thursday, when both sides gathered in the same room, albeit only to hear a
welcome address by de Mistura.
"This
picture is much more than iconic. It is highly symbolic. This was a very
special moment," he said, adding: "A psychological barrier was
broken."
And he
added: "I know there are still people in Syria who still believe
that there is a military option or a military solution.
"That
is fantasy," he said, adding that only a "political solution that
addresses the legitimate aspirations of the Syrian people" would
ultimately prevail.
(Source:
AFP)
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