A framework still in place in Syria talks: WH
The White House says there is a “framework” still in place in Syrian peace talks despite an apparent breakdown due to the opposition walkout.
"The UN...has not described the situation as breaking down. They have acknowledged the talks have been postponed, but there still is a framework in place," White House spokesman Josh Earnest said on Tuesday.
"I believe that there are still technical discussions that are taking place in Geneva ...so there still is a path forward here," he added.
The remarks were made after the main Syrian opposition, High Negotiations Committee (HNC), suspended the talks in protest at what it called an escalation of violence in the Arab country and allegations that the Syrian government was violating the ceasefire.
US State Department spokesman John Kirby also said Washington still believes the cessation of hostilities is holding.
"We continue to believe in the political process, in the importance of these talks," he said.
Blaming Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for most of the recent suspected violations, Kirby urged the opposition to return to the negotiations.
The opposition insists on Assad’s resignation, saying he cannot be part of any transitional or interim government, while the government says only the Syrian people can decide about it.
Riyad Hijab, HNC coordinator, said on Tuesday that he was leaving Geneva but some delegation members would remain for technical discussions with UN staff and for workshops on humanitarian issues and detainees.
Earlier in the day, Syrian army forces and allied Russian warplanes and helicopters carried out a series of counter-offensives against militants operating northwest of the country. Militant sources claimed dozens were killed in air strike carried out in the province of Idlib. The government offensive was apparently meant to avenge militant attacks on Latakia and Hama on Monday.
The surge of violence seems to have effectively abolished the ceasefire agreement which the United States and Russia engineered in late February in a bid to facilitate the talks.
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