Syrian gov't delegation to attend Geneva peace talks

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The Syrian government delegation will arrive in Geneva on Wednesday for the 8th round of Syria peace talks brokered by the United Nations, a UN official said at a routine media briefing on Tuesday.

Alessandra Vellucci, director of the UN Information Service in Geneva, said at the briefing that they have not yet arrived for the talks due to start on Tuesday, but UN special envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura had received a message that they are planning to arrive on Wednesday.

Staffan de Mistura, United Nations special envoy on Syria. /Reuters Photo

Shortly after the briefing, De Mistura confirmed that the Syrian opposition delegation had arrived in Geneva for the talks.

Earlier on Monday, De Mistura said that the Syrian government had not committed to attending the talks, though he had called on the parties in the negotiations to "prepare for real talks" and "real diplomacy."

The UN Security Council also urged all Syrian parties on Monday to actively participate in the Geneva political process without preconditions and to support efforts to ensure its success.

The Syrian armed conflict broke out in 2011 and quickly turned into a full-fledged war which, according to UN figures, has resulted in more than 330,000 deaths and the displacement of millions.

Source(s): Xinhua News Agency