What has been achieved during the latest round of Syria peace talks?

The latest round of negotiations to resolve the Syrian Crisis ended last night, with the UN Syria Envoy Staffan de Mistura noted “incremental progress” achieved during the last days in Geneva. However, a real solution to the conflict is still elusive and different parties are blaming each other for the slow pace of progress.

کد خبر: ۶۸۰۹۴۹

تاریخ: ۱۲ فروردين ۱۳۹۶ - ۱۶:۴۸

Tabnak - The latest round of negotiations to resolve the Syrian Crisis ended last night, with the UN Syria Envoy Staffan de Mistura noted "incremental progress” achieved during the last days in Geneva. However, a real solution to the conflict is still elusive and different parties are blaming each other for the slow pace of progress.

Reports published by the international media indicate that the United Nations believes "incremental progress” has been made during the fifth round of the Geneva peace negotiations on Syria, while the Syrian delegation believes the UN-backed negotiations yielded no progress on ending the country's six-year-long war.

"I believe I can speak on behalf of all who participate that we must maintain this incremental progress on the political process, even if only incremental,” said the UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura on Friday, after wrapping up an eight-day round of peace talks between the Syrian government and foreign-backed armed opposition groups in the Swiss city of Geneva.

De Mistura further acknowledged that there were "serious challenges” facing the negotiations and that no imminent peace deal was foreseeable.

However, the Syrian government and the rebels complained that they believe the other side doesn’t want to reach a settlement, with the rebels saying there was no dealing with the government, and government officials saying that the rebels unrealistically expect them to just hand over power to them.

Syria's Ambassador to the UN Bashar al-Ja'afari, who also heads the Syrian government’s delegation to the talks, said no progress was made in the negotiations, mocking the opposition negotiators as "adolescents” who thought they were appearing on a television talent show such as the "Arab Idol” or "The Voice.”

At the same time, opposition negotiator Nasr al-Hariri said the "terrorist regime" of President Bashar al-Assad had refused to discuss political transition during the talks and said Assad was a war criminal who must step down in the name of peace.

"They are solely discussing their empty rhetoric about countering terrorism," Hariri told reporters, vowing there could be "no peace without justice."

This latest round of talks, which started on March 23, revolved around the four core groups of issues of debate, or baskets, which were designated during last month's talks: governance, constitution, elections and counterterrorism. All four baskets were to be discussed in parallel, as de Mistura put it.

Russian news agency Sputnik notes that initially, the Syrian government delegation, headed by Bashar Jaafari, focused on counterterrorism, while the opposition's High Negotiations Committee (HNC) wanted to discuss political transition first, insisting that there is no place for president Assad in a future Transitional Governing Body (TGB).

At the end of the talks and while no breakthrough had been achieved, de Mistura said that invitees touched upon "each or most" of the four baskets, referring to issues of governance, constitution, elections and counter-terrorism. However, it is obviously certain that there should be still more talks in order for the varying sides to come to a minimum level of agreement over the political solution.