Geneva talks may not resume on Feb. 25, UN Syria envoy says
UN special envoy Staffan de Mistura has said that peace talks on Syria will not resume on February 25, a Swedish daily reported Friday."I cannot realistically call new Geneva talks for February 25. We need 10 days of preparation and invitations. But we aim to do so soon," de Mistura told the Svenska Dagbladet.Earlier this month, de Mistura put the Geneva peace talks on hold until February 25, saying military action had created an obstacle to the negotiations."We need real talks about peace, not just talks about talks," he said in the telephone interview from Damascus. "Now the Americans and Russians must sit down and agree on a concrete plan on the cessation of hostilities." "I cannot say when I will call for talks. We have been disappointed in the past, now I am pragmatic and determined," he added.The envoy said that he wanted the United States and Russia, with their partners, to "agree about a beginning of a cessation of hostilities between today and the middle of next week. Now the ball is in their court."The cessation of hostilities was proposed last week by world powers meeting in Munich, Germany.Part of the plan was also to ensure access for humanitarian aid to besieged areas in Syria."On the humanitarian side, the beginning is there but needs to be pushed ahead. At the same time what is new and interesting is the Deir-ez-Zor operation," he said referring to a city that was besieged by Daesh but now controlled by Assad forces.Developments in Turkey and Turkish force's attacks on the PKK-affiliated YPG underlined the urgency of a solution, he said."Big powers must realize that we need to put a cap to what can become even more of a regional and proxy conflict. Any type of further conflict along the border of Syria has the potential to spin out of control. We cannot afford that," he said.
Last Update: February 19, 2016 12:23