De Mistura: The Next Round of Syrian Talks is Extremely Important

The UN representative for Syria has described the upcoming negotiations regarding the "political transition" in the country as "extremely important." Stefan de Mistura, who met with Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem, stated on April 13 that "we hope and are working to make the negotiations constructive and are planning to make the (issues) clear and specific." The Syrian talks have currently been postponed at least until April 14. According to de Mistura, the reason for this delay is to increase the seriousness of the parties involved. He emphasized that the next round of negotiations is crucial, as it will specifically focus on the issue of political transition in Syria, meaning that the parties must reach a conclusion regarding the future of Bashar al-Assad. Meanwhile, the Syrian central government still considers Assad a red line, while the opposition demands his removal from power, stating he should have no role in the future. The UN envoy will soon travel to Tehran to discuss matters with Iranian officials. Iran, alongside Russia, is considered one of Assad's main supporters. The United States, which is among the opponents of Assad's government, has recently expressed concern over reports of potential attacks in Aleppo. Reports indicate that Syrian forces, supported by Russia, are preparing for extensive attacks aimed at fully retaking the city of Aleppo. The UN representative mentioned discussing the current fragile ceasefire with Walid al-Muallem. Mark Toner, a spokesperson for the U.S. State Department, responded by stating, "We are very, very concerned about the recent increase in violence. This includes actions that may contradict the ceasefire." It is not only the U.S. that has expressed concern over the current ceasefire. Two days prior, a Syrian opposition official present at the Geneva talks also stated that there are "various instances" of conflict in the country and warned that the ceasefire is collapsing. The UN representative stated that they discussed the necessity of maintaining the ceasefire, which is indeed fragile but still in effect, and it is essential to ensure that the ceasefire continues despite some existing violations. The ceasefire does not include groups such as the "Islamic State" (ISIS) and "Jabhat al-Nusra" (al-Qaeda's branch in Syria). The U.S. has repeatedly expressed concern that attacks by Russia and its allies in Syria, under the guise of "attacking terrorists," are actually targeting Western-backed opposition members who are present at the peace negotiations. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that "Jabhat al-Nusra" and its allies have launched attacks in northern, central, and coastal areas of Syria. At least 10 of Assad's forces have been killed in clashes in Latakia. An army official also told AFP that they have been targeted in Latakia and Hama, but the attackers "have not achieved success." The Observatory also reported that the group known as the Islamic State has seized the city of al-Rai in northern Aleppo province. Previously, Reuters had reported that al-Rai had fallen to groups allied with the "Free Syrian Army." International news agencies have yet to independently confirm or deny the latest reports.