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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
| Syrian opposition to draw up strategy on Feb 6 in Ankara |
| 2017-02-02 |
| Syrian opposition representatives will have talks with Turkish officials in Ankara on Feb. 6 in order to set a course for the upcoming talks in Astana and Geneva, a Turkish official, who asked to remain anonymous, told Hürriyet Daily News. The second round of Syria talks in Kazakhstan’s capital Astana is expected to take place on Feb. 8, between the regime and opposition fractions with the participation of guarantor states Russia, Iran and Turkey. Representatives of the Syrian government and opposition groups recently came together in Astana on Jan. 23 and 24 with the participation of Turkish, Russian and Iranian diplomats, as well as the United Nations’ special representative for Syria, Staffan de Mistura. Moscow, Ankara and Tehran agreed to monitor government and rebel compliance with the shaky cease-fire in Syria. A joint communiqué released on the aftermath of the talks underlined the need for the continuation of the nationwide cease-fire in Syria and noted that talks would be held once more under the auspices of the U.N. in Geneva on Feb. 8. But the convention in Geneva was postponed to Feb. 20, according to de Mistura, in order to allow a cease-fire to take hold and to give the opposition time to present a united front. De Mistura said at a closed meeting of the U.N. Security Council that the postponement would help bolster preparations for the talks aimed at ending the nearly six-year war. “We want to give a chance both to the government to become seriously engaged in discussions and the opposition … to actually be able to be given a chance to come with one unified opposition,” De Mistura told reporters after the meeting. “If the cease-fire becomes as solid as we hope, that will only help the Syria talks,” said the envoy. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov last week announced they would be delayed, without providing reasons or a new date. De Mistura warned that if the opposition failed to agree on the composition of the delegation by Feb. 8, he would be selecting the representatives from the various groups, who will come to the peace table. The Syrian opposition has been divided over representation in the talks. |
| Posted by:Steve White |