Negotiators have been meeting in NY this week to try to pass a plan to stop the fighting in Syria, where civil war has devastated the west Asian nation for almost five years under Assad’s rule.
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Despite their agreement, the major powers are bitterly divided on who may represent the opposition as well as on the future of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
Talks about the transition will be held between the government and the opposition by early January, the resolution said.
Western countries have called for his departure, but Russian Federation and China say he should not be required to leave power as a precondition for peace talks. Russian Federation has been targeting militants in the country with airstrikes, but the USA has raised concerns Moscow is hitting U.S.-backed rebel groups in addition to the Islamic State.
The talks by the International Syrian Support Group (ISSG) were planned to precede a vote in the United Nations Security Council later on Friday on a resolution that would endorse a road map for the first negotiations between Damascus and the opposition over the terms of a peace deal and political transition.
But the resolution would not address the main stumbling block, the role that Mr Al Assad will play in the transitional government and whether he will be eligible to stand in elections. The text of the resolution, however, does not specifically state whether Assad, who has never been elected president by his constituents, will be allowed to run.
Security Council adopted unanimously on Friday a resolution on initiating a process of political transition in Syria.
One key issue that lies ahead is deciding which groups in Syria should be part of an opposition negotiating team and which should be considered terrorist organizations instead.
Syrian Ambassador Bashar Ja’afari said Assad’s government was prepared to take part in the talks in good faith.
Trump responded, “He’s running his country, and at least he’s a leader, unlike what we have in this country”.
HOF: If the worldwide community of this Syria Support Group can’t tackle that upfront, if the Russians and Iranians are not willing to get their client out of this business, how likely is it that they’ll oblige their client to negotiate seriously?
Foreign ministers from the U.K., Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Iran and other European countries were meeting in New York’s Palace Hotel.
“There is clear evidence over the last weeks that the weakening of such groups has created opportunities for the expansion of Daesh in certain areas, the very opposite of the stated objectives”.
UNITED NATIONS | Some 20 foreign ministers gathered Friday for the latest conference on Syria’s civil war, hopeful about arranging a cease-fire and launching peace negotiations in the new year.
It’s not a sure thing but world governments are once again looking to restart a peace process for Syria.
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Earlier this week diplomats said some progress had been made on the most hard sticking point in the talks: Assad’s fate.
