Syrian parties recognized that terrorism is a serious problem for the country - Brahimi
30 January 2014, 21:02
The Syrian parties have recognized that terrorism exists in their country, but they failed to reach an agreement on how to fight against it. This came today as a statement by Special Envoy of the UN and the League of Arab States Lakhdar Brahimi following the results of the inter-Syrian negotiations in Geneva.
'Today we discussed a very sensitive and important topic - the security situation in Syria,' Brahimi said. "All parties agree that terrorism exists in Syria and is a serious problem'.
Brahimi disappointed with delay in delivery of humanitarian assistance to Homs
Special Envoy of the UN and the Arab League to Syria, Lakhdar Brahimi said Thursday that he was 'very disappointed' with the delay in delivery of humanitarian assistance to Homs.
"I am extremely disappointed that assistance to Homs is not delivered yet. This is the place, where they are primarily in need of it. The parties continue to negotiate," Brahimi said at a press conference following the results of another day of the inter-Syrian negotiations in the framework of the Geneva-2.
New round of Syrian peace talks to take place on Jan 31 – source
Another meeting between the Syrian government and opposition at which the UN and Arab League Special Envoy to Syria, Lakhdar Brahimi, will act as a mediator has been slated for January 31, a source close to the Syrian government delegation has announced.
'We don't say talks are broken off. It's just that Brahimi didn't set an evening session,' the source said.
'We're ready to continue debates and a new meeting is slated for the morning of January 31,' the source added.
Earlier, the EU press service in Geneva informed that evening sessions of peace talks were cancelled.
'There will be no evening sessions,' the source stated.
Damascus ready to discuss transitional gov't issue - Syrian Foreign Ministry
Deputy Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal al-Mikdad said that the official governmental delegation of Syria is ready to discuss the formation of a transitional government in Syria. Earlier the Syrian opposition refused to discuss any issues on settling the conflict in the country with government delegates until debates over the creation of a transitional government in Syria take place.
'We are ready to discuss all the issues, but we want to stick to the order, stipulated by the Geneva communique,' he told the journalists.
Earlier today SNC spokesperson Louay Safi said: 'They say we should first discuss Geneva communiqué provisions and then the creation of a transitional government. It's wrong. It's like putting the cart before the horse.'
Syria expects Russia to pressure US to have opposition fully presented at Geneva-2
The Syrian government expects Russia to put pressure on the United States in order to have all the opposition groups present at the Geneva-2 conference, Busein Shaaban, Syrian President Bashar Assad's Advisor, has said on Thursday.
'We expect Russia to put a little bit more pressure on the US in order to have all the Syrian opposition groups present at talks. I know the Russian side is making efforts to achieve this,' she stated.
According to Shaaban, 'now Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has strong arguments for a conversation with Kerry /US State Secretary/'.
'In Geneva we submitted for consideration three documents containing main principles of settling the Syrian conflict. And all of them were rejected by the opposition,' the President's Advisor underlined.
Speaking about a role Russia could play in improving the situation for the Syrian people, Shaaban said: 'We're very grateful to Russia for the help already provided; however, Syrians are in need of greater economic assistance'.
'But the most important thing is to find a political solution and make peace in Syria,' Shaaban concluded.
Syrian opposition refuses to negotiate until transitional gov't debates take place
The Syrian opposition refuses to discuss any issues on settling the conflict in the country with government delegates until debates over the creation of a transitional government in Syria take place, SNC spokesperson Louay Safi has said.
'They say we should first discuss Geneva communiqué provisions and then the creation of a transitional government. It's wrong. It's like putting the cart before the horse,' he stated.
Besides, Safi commented on a situation with the refusal to discuss a communiqué on fighting against terrorism which was proposed by the government delegation.
'The regime has proposed a unilateral communiqué on fighting against terrorism in which terrorist groups happened to be mixed up with ordinary Syrian people struggling to bring truth and peace in Syria. They proposed a unilateral communiqué having failed to put on the list Hezbollah and other terrorist organizations associated with the current regime. So we said 'no' and refused to accept the document,' the SNC spokesperson added.
On Thursday, the next to the last day of the first round of talks between the Syrian government delegation and opposition has started.
Lakhdar Brahimi to act as mediator in next round of Syrian peace talks
The next to last day of the first stage of Syrian peace talks began today with a meeting between the government delegation and opposition delegation, lead by Lakhdar Brahimi, the UN and Arab League special representative.
'Both parties are now sitting in the same room and negotiations are under way', ITAR-TASS said in the press office of the European department of the UN.
It's clear that neither the government delegation nor the opposition delegation will leave Switzerland before the appointed time and that this stage of negotiations will continue until January 31.
However there is also little hope for progress this week, as talk of the second round of negotiations is being heard more and more often.
Both delegations will have to return to the bargaining table in seven to ten days after completing the tasks given to them in Geneva. Those countries able to influence both sides of the conflict, which has lasted for some three years now, will be able to control the process of these talks.
'The gap between the positions of two parties is quite big. I didn't expect any result this time', Brahimi said after the negotiations this Wednesday. But according to him there is no feeling of hopelessness. 'Stumbling blocks are slowly overcome', he said.
A good example of at least a little breakthrough are the preliminary negotiations about a transitional governmental body. According to the opposition delegation's representative, concrete details weren't discussed, but the general groundwork has been defined.
Voice of Russia, RIA, Reuters, TASS
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