UN Syria envoy to meet US, Russia officials today

UN SYRIA envoy Staffan de Mistura will hold talks today with top US and Russian officials in Geneva in a bid to revive flagging peace talks, his office said. US mission spokesman Paul Patin said that the State Department’s special envoy for Syria Michael Ratney will be at the meeting, while Russia’s Ria-Novosti news agency said Moscow will be represented by Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov. US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov earlier this month announced an agreement on “concrete steps” to salvage a failing ceasefire in Syria, a key step before negotiations can resume.