Syrian gov't, opposition fail to sit face-to-face during talks

Though the UN said that it was "aiming for a direct dialogue" in the latest round of Syrian peace talks, participants failed to sit face-to-face on Thursday, two days after fresh talks began.

UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura speaks during a meeting with Syrian government delegation, during the UN-led Intra-Syrian talks in Geneva, Switzerland, Nov. 30, 2017. UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura on Thursday held seperate meetings with the Syrian government delegation and the Syrian Negotiation Commission (SNC) delegations at the same time.

UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura on Thursday held meetings with both the Syrian government and opposition delegations but in different rooms.

While calling it "close proximity type of discussions," De Mistura said he would like to see this type of discussions in "a parallel way."

"I will be with you at the beginning, then I will be moving to the other room, and I will be returning very quickly," he told the Syrian government delegation Thursday morning before the formal meeting started.

The head of the Syrian Negotiation Commission (SNC) Nasr al-Hariri (3rd R) and other members of the delegation attend a meeting, during the UN-led Intra-Syrian talks in Geneva, Switzerland, Nov. 30, 2017. UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura on Thursday held seperate meetings with the Syrian government delegation and the Syrian Negotiation Commission (SNC) delegation at the same time.

On the first day of the latest round of talks here, the Syrian opposition delegation, now called the Syrian Negotiation Commission (SNC), issued a statement calling for "direct negotiations" with representatives of the government.

"We are one and we are ready to negotiate directly with the other side," the statement said.

In order to create a better atmosphere for talks, the UN envoy on Wednesday night requested both delegations to refrain from statements aimed at delegitimizing other invitees.

De Mistura is intending to have both sides stay in Geneva to continue meetings next week, after a possible weekend off.

The Syrian armed conflict broke out in 2011 and quickly turned into a war, now entering into its seventh year. UN figures show more than 330,000 people have been killed and millions displaced so far.

The last UN-led talks aimed at brokering a political solution between the Syrian government and the major opposition forces ended on July 14 without going deeper into any of the scheduled topics.

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)