A new round of Syrian peace talks has resumed in Geneva with the mediation of the United Nations after a 10-month hiatus. Meanwhile, Russia has dismissed the opposition's demand for Bashar al-Assad to step down as "meaningless." According to Reuters, Alexey Borodavkin, Russia's representative at the United Nations, stated after meeting with the chief negotiator of the Syrian government that "the delegation from the Syrian government that has come to Geneva is following constructive instructions to achieve progress in the negotiations." He then mentioned that as far as he knows, "the agenda for these negotiations has not yet been prepared," but he hopes that according to the UN resolution, discussions on forming a national unity government, drafting a constitution, and planning elections in Syria will proceed well and yield progress in these areas. These statements come as the head of staff for Stefan de Mistura, the UN Secretary-General's special representative for Syria, emphasized that this round of negotiations will focus on the topic of "political transition," while the opposition to Bashar al-Assad views political transition as meaning Assad's departure from power, which Borodavkin rejected. The discussion of political transition and Assad's resignation has essentially been the main challenge of the previous round of Syrian peace talks, which led to a deadlock. Since then, the position of the Syrian government has become stronger, especially after the capture of Aleppo, which had long been held by Assad's opponents. Meanwhile, the Syrian civil war continues. According to reports from the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, government forces have conducted airstrikes on rebel-held areas in Daraa and Hama. Rebels have also responded by firing missiles at government positions. Given these circumstances, it remains to be seen whether Stefan de Mistura can bring both sides of the conflict to the negotiating table for direct talks. De Mistura has previously stated that he does not expect these negotiations to lead to quick success.
Syrian Peace Talks Resume in Geneva After a 10-Month Break
Syrian peace talks have resumed in Geneva after a 10-month break, with Russia dismissing calls for Assad's resignation. The talks aim to address political transition, but the Syrian government's position has strengthened recently. The outcome is uncertain as the civil war continues.
👥 Key Players
📰 What Happened
Syrian peace talks have resumed in Geneva after a 10-month break, with Russia rejecting the opposition's demand for Assad's resignation. The talks aim to address political transition amidst ongoing conflict.
- The Syrian government's position has strengthened following military successes.
- The agenda for the negotiations has not been finalized, but key topics include forming a national unity government and drafting a constitution.
💡 Why It Matters
📚 Background
The Syrian civil war has been ongoing since 2011, leading to a humanitarian crisis and significant geopolitical tensions involving multiple countries, including Iran and Russia.
🏷️ Entities Mentioned
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