UN: Syria peace talks to resume within days
The United Nations says peace talks on the conflict in Syria are to resume within days.
A spokeswoman for UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura said on Tuesday that delegations to the talks are likely to arrive in Geneva, Switzerland, in several days. The negotiations will begin no later than March 14, Jessy Chahine stated.
The UN official specified the timetable by saying that talks will officially start on Wednesday with meetings planned for a group monitoring the humanitarian aid and a truce agreement currently holding in Syria.
De Mistura had earlier vowed that indirect talks between the Syrian government and the foreign-backed opposition would begin on Wednesday in the Swiss city.
Chahine said logistics and other issues mean that delegations are likely to arrive in Geneva in several days. De Mistura and his team, she added, will be ready to receive all of the participants as of afternoon of March 9.
“But the envoy will start substantive meetings with those who are in Geneva by the latest on March 14,” she said.
Chahine elaborated on the logistic challenges of resuming the stalled talks on Wednesday, saying the hotels in Geneva have been filled up due to a major car show in the city, meaning that the participants to the Syria talks would have to arrive on various dates.
The talks on Syria collapsed in early February after both the government and the opposition accused each other of violating the terms of a tentative ceasefire which was supposed to be respected during the time of the negotiations.
A later truce agreement, engineered by Russia and the United States, has been holding across Syria despite minor reports of violations by the warring sides.
Fresh Israeli strike targets positions in Syria, no casualties reported
Five Syrians killed in Israeli airstrikes on al-Qusayr near Homs
One killed, several injured in Israeli offensives in Syria
VIDEO | Press TV's news headlines
Iranian satellites launched into space as private sector debuts in space industry
VIDEO | Iran, Azerbaijan conduct joint maritime rescue operations
VIDEO | Yemen’s Red Sea divide: Naval forces block Israeli-linked ships in strategic ‘parting of the water’
VIDEO | Southern Gaza: Israel’s facade for famine and suffering
VIDEO | IOF hampering humanitarian aid
VIDEO | Sharmahd: Justice Done
Iran repeatedly warned Israel not to test its will: FM
PressTV NEWSLETTER
now
This makes it easy to access the Press TV website
