Syrian peace talks to resume in Geneva on May 16: UN envoy
The talks between representatives of the Syrian government and the opposition will resume in Geneva on May 16, according to a statement released by the office of the UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura.
“Special Envoy Staffan de Mistura will reconvene the intra-Syrian talks under the auspices of the United Nations in Geneva on 16 May 2017. In this round and subsequent ones, he is looking forward to intensified work with invitees on the items on agenda of the talks, within the context of the overall framework of relevant Security Council resolutions, in particular resolution 2254 (2015),” said the communique.
As preparations for talks continue, the Special Envoy has reiterated his hope that the agreement reached last week in Astana among guarantors of the ceasefire announced on 29 December 2016 will be implemented in full, the statement said.
According to de Mistura, it will bring about “a significant de-escalation in violence, and help shape an environment conducive to the political intra-Syrian talks in Geneva.”
The previous round of the intra-Syrian talks was held in Geneva on March 23-31. According to the UN special envoy, it brought some progress but no breakthrough.
