Syria talks resume as Damascus stays on war footing
With the odds stacked against him, UN envoy Staffan de Mistura downgrades hope of a breakthrough in Geneva
Geneva — The UN’s Syria envoy launched consultations on Thursday with rival sides in the six-year conflict, but hopes of a breakthrough are clouded by persistent violence and deadlock over the country’s political future. Staffan de Mistura began separate meetings in Geneva with delegates from the Syrian regime and the opposition, notably to discuss the agenda and the format for the negotiations — the first UN-hosted peace talks in 10 months. On Wednesday, the opposition High Negotiations Committee (HNC) said it wanted direct negotiations with the regime, but both sides would have to agree. Neither regime delegation chief Bashar al-Jaafari nor opposition team chief Nasr al-Hariri spoke as they arrived at UN offices in the Swiss city. De Mistura said he planned to host an opening meeting later in the day with both sides. On the eve of the discussions — the fourth brokered by the UN and the first since April last year — Russia called on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to stop bombing ...
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