Syrian peace talks must proceed without preconditions: Russia
February 1, 2016, 7:06 am

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov (4th from right) discussed the Geneva talks with his US counterpart Kerry during a phone conversation on Saturday [Image: MFA, Russia]

“We call on all the sides to join the work actively and to give up any preconditions in favor of searching for efficient ways of reaching political settlement in Syria,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Monday.

The United Nation’s Special Envoy to Syria, Staffan De Mistura said he was “optimistic and determined” after his first meeting with the Syrian opposition’s delegation in Geneva on Sunday.

The civil war has killed over 250,000 people, driven more than 10 million from their homes and drawn in global powers. The United Nations brokered Syria peace talks are aimed at ending the country’s five-year-old civil war.

“I am optimistic and determined because this is a historic occasion not to be missed,” said Mistura.

Representatives of the Saudi-backed Higher Negotiation Committee (HNC), which includes opponents of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, have asked for ceasefires, humanitarian corridors and prisoner releases.

The opposition delegation says it needs assurances on halt to attacks on civilian areas, the release of detainees and a lifting of blockades before it steps in for negotiations.

“This is not our condition. This is the negotiation that was signed by 15 members of the Security Council. It’s important for us to stop this massacre,” said Salim Al-Muslat, Higher Negotiations Committee spokesperson.

“Our people, our children are getting that by Russian airstrikes, by starving to death. We are here to put an end to this one, then we go to negotiations.”

UN spokesperson Khawla Mattar said the opposition group backed by Riyadh has not informed the UN envoy’s office that it may leave Geneva in case its demands were not met.

The Syrian government’s delegation head in Geneva, Bashar al-Jaafari, said Damascus was considering options such as ceasefires, humanitarian corridors and prisoner releases, but suggested they might come about as a result of the talks, not before them.

“Absolutely, this is part of the agenda that we agreed upon and that will be one of the very important topics we will discuss among ourselves as Syrian citizens,” Jaafari said.

The UN also does want to focus on humanitarian issues before engaging in political negotiations.

But Sunday’s meetings were largely overshadowed by the deadly suicide bombings in the Syrian capital Damascus, later claimed by ISIL. The attacks killed more than 60 people.

The Syrian government’s chief delegate said the blasts in Damascus merely confirmed the link between the opposition and terrorism.

The United Nation’s Special Envoy to Syria, Mistura, will meet the Syrian government delegation on Monday.

The United Nations is aiming for six months of talks that would focus on achieving a broad ceasefire, while working towards an interim government and finally elections.

In a phone conversation with US Secretary of State John Kerry on Saturday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov voiced support for the Geneva peace talks.

“Lavrov stressed that the attempts made by certain opponents of the Syrian leadership to set preconditions for the start of the talks are inadmissible and violate UN Security Council Resolution 2254. The Russian Foreign Minister reiterated that it is essential for the delegation to be representative of the entire spectrum of the opposition and stressed the need to form a united front in the struggle against ISIS and other terrorist groups,” a Russian Foreign Ministry statement said.

TBP and Agencies