Hosted by the United States, the talks in the Austrian capital will bring together Western nations including the UK – represented by Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond – with ministers from Russian Federation and regional powers Iran and Saudi Arabia. So did Moscow and Washington.
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Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif told Iranian state TV Saturday that the attacks in Paris show the urgency of fighting terrorism and extremism on a global level. The rise of extremist groups in the Syrian conflict have compelled opponents and supporters of the Assad government to renew peace efforts, and Friday’s attacks in Paris are poised to add even more urgency.
French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said the attacks in Paris made it all the more necessary for the global community to find a common approach in Syria and terrorism. Kerry says once an agreement on a transitional government is reached, a new constitution would be drafted within 6 months and free and fair elections would be held within 18 months. Under the terms, the sponsoring countries of each group covered by the cease fire would be responsible for making sure that group upholds it. “This political process should be followed by a ceasefire, which will help us to identify terrorists”.
In a joint statement, the countries involved in the talks, including Saudi Arabia, Iran, Turkey and the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, laid out a plan including formal talks between the government and opposition by January 1.
Washington wants Assad removed, but Kerry suggested Syrians themselves would decide the fate of the Syrian president through the democratic process.
At the same time, Kerry said the war “can’t end as long as Bashar Assad is there. That’s the perception of the people waging the war”.
Hollande recently insisted that Assad “cannot be part of the solution” to Syria’s brutal war. “ISIS is your enemy”.
His comments came after France declared a state of emergency and three days of mourning after coordinated attacks in Paris claimed by the Islamic State group killed at least 127 people late on Friday. Europe and Syria’s neighbors, meanwhile, are struggling to cope with the worst migrant crisis since World War II.
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.
Speaking to the reporters after the meeting in Vienna, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said that the Syrian opposition agreed to immediately start the negotiations with the regime of Bashar al-Assad. “Europeans, Arabs, East and West we are all affected by terrorism and those that try and divide us”, said Mogherini.
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“The just response is coming together, overcoming our differences and trying together to lead the way toward peace in Syria”.
