Saturday’s meeting was overshadowed by the terrorist shootings and bombings in Paris that killed more than 120 people, and Syria as a breeding ground for terrorism moved to the foreground of the talks as participants linked the shooting and bombing attacks in Paris to Mideast turmoil and the opportunities it gives for terror.
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Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister, Adel al-Jubeir, said the killings violated “all ethics, morals and religions” and called for enhanced global measures to counter the “scourge of terrorism”.
On Saturday, Russian Federation and the United States seemed to turn a blind eye to their disagreement over Assad’s fate.
A day after the attacks in Paris underlined the global danger posed by the continuing violence in Syria, Russia, the United States, and governments in Europe and the Middle East agreed at talks in Vienna to a road map for ending the devastating and destabilizing war.
“Just because the global community holds a press conference, it doesn’t mean they’re going to stop Daesh”, Hanna said by phone.
He told reporters outside the talks that the countries wanted elections to be held in Syria in 18 months, but added: “No one has any illusions about how hard the task ahead will be”.
The murderous attacks on French civilians enjoying a night out in Paris were proof, were any needed, that the war in Syria and Iraq will not be contained there. Although Mr Hammond has previously signalled a willingness for Mr Assad to remain in place for at least part of the transition process, London remains insistent that he has no long-term future in Syria’s administration.
The Vienna talks were a continuation of October 30 negotiations in the Austrian capital, which had been attended by representatives from 17 countries, including Iran, as well as envoys from the United Nations (UN) and the European Union (EU).
Hassan Abdel Azim, the head of the National Coordination Committee for Democratic Change (NCCDC), an internal opposition group, said Vienna had set out a “practical plan”.
British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said on Friday that Assad “has to go”.
Under the accord, limits will be put on Iran’s nuclear activities in exchange for, among other things, the removal of all nuclear-related economic and financial bans against the Islamic Republic.
Putting that aside, the talks will focus on deciding which of the Syrian government, rebel and opposition factions – none of whom will be represented at the talks – will shape the country’s future.
“Syria is a sovereign country, Bashar al-Assad is a president elected by the people”, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in an interview released Friday.
At the same time, Kerry said the war “can’t end as long as Bashar Assad is there”.
Advances by the Syrian army, popular militias and Hezbollah guerillas around the partially occupied city of Aleppo have left terrorist forces and so-called moderate rebels facing envelopment and annihilation.
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Everyone was very somber and, you know, very determined to make a few headway here in light of – you know, the attacks that really underscored the challenge they’re facing, trying to confront the Islamic State and, you know, its effects on the region, but also, obviously, well beyond the region.
