Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov listens during a press conference after a meeting in the U.N. Security Council of foreign ministers for a vote concerning Syria, Friday, Dec. 18, 2015 at U.N. headquarters.
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Like Russia, Iran is a firm ally of Assad and is helping him militarily against anti-government forces.
More than 250,000 people have died since Syria’s conflict erupted in March 2011, and millions more have fled their homes. De Mistura said invitations to the talks will go out in January, at least. “It will be complicated”.
“We are under no illusions about the obstacles that exist”.
“This Council is sending a clear message to all concerned that the time is now to stop the killing in Syria and lay the groundwork for a government that the long-suffering people of that battered land can support”, said Kerry.
Within six months, the process should establish “credible, inclusive and non-sectarian governance”, and set a schedule for drafting a new constitution.
Russia’s deputy foreign minister confirmed the reports, saying that the plan was to adopt the resolution on Friday. “We must realize the political process is going to go backward if we are not making progress”, he said.
The resolution has a schedule for changing the political situation in Syria.
“I’m not sure it’s going to happen because there are some unfortunately deliberate, or not deliberate, attempts to undercut the Vienna documents and we don’t want to see that”, he told reporters on Thursday without elaborating. The group needs “a month or so” to prepare, said the SNC’s United Nations envoy Najib Ghadbian.
The resolution does three things, which internationalize efforts to seek a political solution in Syria.
Jordan presented countries’ lists of groups that should be considered terrorist organizations instead, another critical issue. The ministers said they would meet again next month.
Council diplomats said they aimed to clinch an agreement on a text.
Russian Federation and the West continue to be split on the central issue in any discussions on a political transition: the fate of Assad.
The airstrikes took place in the northwestern rebel-held town of Jisr al-Shughour and the casualties included women and children, two activist groups said. Previously, Moscow has insisted that any deal allow Assad to remain in power – a provision deemed unacceptable by Washington.
Foreign ministers from 17 countries – including Russia’s Sergei Lavrov, US Secretary of State John Kerry and other European and Middle Eastern ministers, as well as top diplomats from regional rivals Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Iran, were in NY for the Syria meetings.
Any halt to hostilities would not apply to air strikes against so-called Islamic State (IS) – also known as Isis, Isil and Daesh – and other terrorist groups, it makes clear, amid fears they could otherwise benefit.
Kurdish fighters were also left out.
Differences focused on references to the Geneva communique on Syria that call for a transitional governing body, language that is not specifically contained in the Vienna statements, a diplomat said.
It also calls for political talks to start by January 1. For the past four years, the United States has sided with Gulf States in calling for Assad’s ouster.
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Kerry said after those talks with Putin that the United States is ready to work with Russian Federation to destroy the Islamic State group.
