Syrian Arab News Agency S A N A
Geneva, SANA – UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura said that he is working hard to reach a common understanding between Syrian sides in order to reach a political solution for the crisis in Syria.
In a press conference on Tuesday following his meeting with the “Riyadh opposition” delegation in Geneva, de Mistura said that terrorist attacks which took place in Brussels show the necessity of finding a political process for the crisis as soon as possible.
He said that the current round of dialogue will conclude on Thursday, therefore he is working hard to reach a common understanding.
De Mistura said that some of the documents presented by the Syrian Arab Republic delegation have been discussed thoroughly, and that discussions also touched on the points that are common and the points of difference between Syrian sides, with the following steps to be discussed later.
He noted that the opposition presented documents that share some basic principles with the document presented by the Syrian Arab Republic delegation, and that he will meet both delegations on Wednesday and consult other sides.
In response to a question by SANA’s representative in Geneva on what has changed in what the “Riyadh opposition” is proposing, de Mistura said that what he could say is that the atmosphere in general has changed, with no walkouts or “slamming the doors” or rejection of other ideas.
On the possibility of delaying some issues in dialogue or the date for starting the next round, he said he will address that on Thursday.
Regarding the upcoming meeting between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and US Secretary of State John Kerry, de Mistura said that he has high expectations regarding that meeting, and hoped that it will be productive and have a positive effect on dialogue.
The Special Envoy said that the terrorist bombings which took place on Tuesday in Brussels are a tragedy that serves as a reminder that there’s no time to waste, as the terrorism in Syria and the world threatens everybody, and the best way to deal with that is by finding a political solution.
Hazem Sabbagh
