The
UN is calling for a "firewall" around the Syria process, after
diplomatic talks for the conflict-torn country were postponed over Russian
demands reportedly linked to its war in Ukraine.
اضافة اعلان
The UN Special Envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, had been set to host a ninth
round of talks in Geneva towards a new Syrian constitution this week.
But he was forced to postpone after Moscow raised issues over the venue,
reportedly insisting that Switzerland, which has imposed sanctions over the
Ukraine war, is not neutral.
Spokeswoman Jenifer Fenton told reporters in Geneva that Pedersen had
briefed the Security Council behind closed doors Thursday, and had described
the postponement as "unfortunate and disheartening, particularly since it
results from matters unrelated to the Syria file."
He had told the council that a Syrian government representative had informed
him that it would only be ready to participate in the next round of
constitutional talks "when what he described as requests made by the
Russian Federation have been met," she said.
Pedersen, she said, "urged all parties to firewall the Syrian process
from the impact of the conflicts elsewhere in the world and put the interest of
Syrians first."
Fenton highlighted that back in 2018 when the constitutional committee was
conceived, one of the conditions was that it "would hold its meetings in
Geneva without foreign interference".
Pedersen acknowledged that the challenges facing the long-stuck talks aimed
at rewriting Syria's constitution "run much deeper than issues of
venue," she said.
"One challenge is that of pace and working methods, and another
challenge, is that of political will."
During the last round of talks in early June, the rival parties made very
little headway, with Pedersen's office decrying the slow pace and acknowledging
at the time that "differences remained significant".
On Thursday, Pedersen told the council that the "current deadlock ...
calls for a broader reflection," Fenton said.
He had said the situation for Syrians remains "dire", and had
stressed the need to "put aside our differences and offer Syrians a common
and constructive position."
Syria's war, which erupted in 2011 after the brutal repression of
anti-government protests, has killed nearly half a million people and displaced
millions.
The tentative negotiations are aimed at rewriting the war-torn country's
constitution. It is hoped the talks could pave the way towards a broader
political process.
Norwegian diplomat Pedersen mediates at the talks between representatives
each from President Bashar al-Assad's government, the opposition, and civil
society.
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