New Syria peace talks kick off

SEVENTH ROUND: LITTLE HOPE FOR BREAKTHROUGH

Not much progress expected towards ending a war that has killed more than 320 000 people.

Beirut

Syria’s government and opposition met yesterday for a seventh round of United Nations (UN)-sponsored peace talks in Geneva with little expectation of a breakthrough to end the six-year conflict.

The Geneva process has been increasingly overshadowed by a separate track organised by regime allies Russia and Iran, and rebel backer Turkey.

And on Sunday, a ceasefire brokered by the US, Russia and Jordan began in southern Syria – the latest agreement reached outside the Geneva framework.

In principle, the new round of negotiations will focus on four so-called “baskets”: a new constitution, governance, elections and combating “terrorism”.

The last talks had ended in May with little progress towards ending a war that has killed more than 320 000 people since it began in March 2011.

UN Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura said afterwards that “important gaps remain ... on major issues,” and that time constraints had stymied progress.

Syria’s opposition insists President Bashar al-Assad must step down as part of a political solution, but the government says Assad’s fate is not up for discussion.

Yehya al-Aridi, a spokesperson for the opposition high negotiations committee, said he had “modest expectations” for the talks. The Geneva talks began in 2014, and have continued intermittently despite a dearth of results.

Since January, they have been increasingly overshadowed by a separate process held in Astana and organised by Russia, Iran and Turkey.

The three countries agreed in May to set up four “de-escalation zones” in Syria, though they have so far failed to agree details necessary to implement the plan.

Meanwhile, US, Russian and Jordanian officials have agreed a ceasefire in southern Syria that covers three provinces included in one of the “de-escalation” zones.

De Mistura’s deputy Ramzi Ezzedine Ramzi has said: “We hope an agreement will be reached for the other areas that have been discussed as soon as possible and this will lead to significant support for the political process.”

Syria’s opposition fears the Astana talks are a way for regime allies to control the negotiation process. By attending the Geneva talks, Aridi said, the opposition hoped to preserve the track.

“The goal is to maintain some momentum for a political solution in light of Russia’s attempts to divert attention to Astana.” –