GENEVA: The Syrian government鈥檚 delegation returned to Geneva on Sunday for the resumption of talks with UN mediator Staffan de Mistura after more than a week鈥檚 absence, but Western diplomats voiced skepticism about its willingness to engage.
Bashar Al-Ja鈥檃fari, Syria鈥檚 ambassador to the UN and chief negotiator in talks aimed at finding a political solution to end the nearly seven-year-old war, landed in a snowstorm on a flight from Beirut, a Reuters reporter on board said. Ja鈥檃fari declined to comment.
De Mistura convened an eighth round of separate talks with the government and unified opposition delegations on November 28, focusing on constitutional reform as well as elections.
But Ja鈥檃fari arrived a day late and left after two days, saying the opposition had 鈥渕ined the road鈥� to the talks by insisting that President Bashar Assad could not play any interim role in Syria鈥檚 political transition.
De Mistura told reporters last Thursday that he would assess this week whether either side is trying to 鈥渟abotage鈥� the process.
鈥淭he opposition has been extremely constructive and willing to get down to it,鈥� a senior Western diplomat said. 鈥淭hey are in a difficult place while being criticized internally and pressured by the fact that the regime is bombing away in eastern Ghouta and other places.鈥�
The diplomat told Reuters that the government鈥檚 failure to return as scheduled on December 5 had been 鈥渁 clear sign of not being interested in engaging in the political process.鈥�
Russian President Vladimir Putin has suggested holding a Syrian congress in the Russian city of Sochi early in 2018. Diplomats see his plan as a bid to draw a line under the war and celebrate Moscow鈥檚 role as the power that tipped the balance of the war and became the key player in the peace process.
Syrian government returns to Geneva talks, Western envoys skeptical
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