Saturday, Apr 20 2024 | Time 22:00 Hrs(IST)
image
WorldPosted at: May 20 2017 12:29AM


UN sees 'incremental progress' after Syria talks

By Tom Miles GENEVA, May 19 (Reuters) UN envoy Staffan de Mistura ended four days of Syria talks today, saying there had been "incremental progress" and he planned to reconvene negotiations in June. But the warring sides still showed no sign of wanting to be in the same room, let alone on the same page in terms of negotiating Syria's political future. Syrian government negotiator Bashar al-Ja'afari told reporters the talks had not included any discussion of the four main agenda items - reformed governance, new elections, a new constitution and the fight against terrorism. He suggested the United States had tried to undermine his negotiating position by saying at the start of the round that a crematorium had been built at Sednaya prison north of Damascus to dispose of detainees' remains. Ja'afari called the accusation "a big lie" and "a Hollywood show" and said the timing was "no coincidence". Syrian opposition delegation leader Nasr al-Hariri said it was not possible to reach a political solution or to fight terrorism as long as Iran and its militias remained in Syria, and reiterated the opposition's demand to remove President Bashar al-Assad. The UN talks no longer aim to bring an end to the fighting - that objective has been taken up by parallel talks sponsored by Russia, Turkey and Iran - but they do aim to prepare the way for political reform in Syria, if the six-year-old war ends. "Any momentum provides some type of hope that we are not just waiting for the golden day but we are actually working for it," de Mistura told a news conference in Geneva. "History is not, especially in a conflict environment, written by timelines that we set up artificially. They could be a target, a dream, a wish, a day for us to try to aim at." Among the modest goals of this sixth round of talks was a more businesslike format for meetings and less rhetorical grandstanding by the warring sides. REUTERS AKC 0028
Tags: #UN sees 'incremental progress' after Syria talks
More News

Landmine explosion kills 4 in NE Cambodia: official

20 Apr 2024 | 9:33 PM

Phnom penh, Apr 20 (UNI) Four villagers were killed and two others were wounded in a landmine explosion in northeast Cambodia's Mondulkiri province on Saturday, a mine clearance chief said.

see more..

Landmine explosion kills 4 in NE Cambodia: official

20 Apr 2024 | 9:15 PM

Phnom Penh, Apr 20 (UNI) Four villagers were killed and two others were wounded in a landmine explosion in northeast Cambodia's Mondulkiri province on Saturday, a mine clearance chief said.

see more..

Bali suggests foreign tourists get dengue fever vaccines amid increasing cases

20 Apr 2024 | 8:14 PM

Jakarta, Apr 20 (UNI) Indonesia's Bali regional government has called on foreign tourists in the resort island to get dengue jabs as the dengue fever cases are currently increasing in the country.

see more..

Sri Lanka introduces online visa system for sea route travelers

20 Apr 2024 | 7:29 PM

Colombo, Apr 20 (UNI) Sri Lanka's Immigration and Emigration Department has introduced an online visa system for travelers entering Sri Lanka by ship, a senior official said on Saturday.

see more..

Namibia disappointed by U S veto of UN membership for Palestine

20 Apr 2024 | 7:23 PM

Windhoek, Apr 20 (UNI) Namibia has expressed its disappointment following the recent decision by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) not to adopt a resolution granting the State of Palestine full membership in the United Nations.

see more..
image