UN seeks to resume Syria talks in August

BERLIN

The UN’s Syria envoy said Friday he is aiming to restart next round of Syria talks in Geneva next month.

“We are determined to actually look for a proper date in August for relaunching intra-Syrian talks in Geneva,” UN”s special envoy Staffan de Mistura told journalists in Berlin, ahead of his meeting with German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

De Mistura expressed hope that U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry’s visit to Moscow last week would yield positive results for the resumption of the stalled peace talks.

“From what we understand they came up with some type of understanding on some steps to be taken,” he said.

“Certainly we are eagerly waiting for those steps to become concrete and visible. If that takes place I know, and we can say it will be a great help to make the intra-Syrian talks starting in the good mood,” he added.

Noting that he was in Ankara, before his visit to Berlin, De Mistura underlined Turkey’s support for the political talks.

“I can confirm that the Turkish authorities in spite of the recent events are very serious about focusing on the issue of Syria, and fully aware that there is a need of addressing a political solution there,” he said.

"Timing is crucial. The next three weeks, believe me or not, are going to be extremely important to give a chance for not only the intra-Syrian talks, but also for some possibility of reducing violence in Syria," he also said.

Syria has been locked in a vicious civil war since early 2011, when the Bashar Assad regime cracked down on pro-democracy protests with unexpected ferocity.

Since then, more than 250,000 people have been killed and more than 10 million displaced, according to the UN.