Syria talks extended to Dec. 15, presidency not discussed

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A new round of Syrian peace talks that began this week in Geneva is being extended until December 15, but the future of President Bashar al-Assad has not yet been discussed, the UN’s envoy Staffan de Mistura said Thursday.

This eighth round of UN-sponsored talks, which began Wednesday, was initially expected to last only two to three days.

It could now break up for the weekend so that the delegations can “return home, consult, refresh” before coming back for further negotiations on Tuesday, de Mistura told reporters.

Ahead of the meeting, there was some doubt as to whether the Syrian government would send representatives. The Syrian opposition, meanwhile, is being represented by a united delegation for the first time.

So far, the delegations have kept apart, with de Mistura shuttling between the two.

These were however "very close-proximity, parallel meetings" in Geneva, with both groups convening in rooms "just five meters apart," he said.

"The atmosphere... compared to the past was professional and serious on both sides," he added.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is seen praying to commemorate the birth of Prophet Mohammad in Damascus, Syria, November 30, 2017. /Handout via Reuters

The two sides have yet to sit at the same table at UN talks.

But this was a minor hurdle for the UN mediator: "Let's be frank: direct contact is good, but what is essential is being able to exchange opinions and shuttling as we do... is good enough."

On the agenda at these talks is a new constitution for Syria and UN-supervised parliamentary and presidential elections.

“We have not discussed the issue of the presidency,” de Mistura said Thursday.

Syria’s opposition wants Assad’s removal from office ahead of any transition of power, but the government refuses to discuss this.

"I want to believe that that issue should come up from the Syrians through UN-supervised elections," de Mistura said.

Over 340,000 people have been killed in six years of fighting that have left Syria in ruins, while millions have been displaced.

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Source(s): AFP ,Reuters