国际英语资讯:Latest round of Syria peace talks ends on positive note_时事

国际英语资讯:Latest round of Syria peace talks ends on positive note

The special envoy lauded the fact that opposing delegations sat face-to-face in the same room at a welcome ceremony marking the start of talks on Feb 23., an event which could be seen as a sign that direct discussions are in the pipeline.

He also said that progress has made in forming a unified Syrian opposition, though more work needs to be done to achieve this.

While direct talks between Syrian government and opposition delegations have yet to happen, de Mistura reminded that this remains an objective for discussions seeking to broker a political end to the six-year conflict.

As well as incremental trust, the upkeep of a ceasefire brokered by Russia and Turkey last December and improved humanitarian access in the war-torn country are seen as key factors if future talks are to avoid an early breakdown.

"It's not snow, it's not rain, it is not an earthquake, the non-access of humanitarian aid is caused by the conflict," de Mistura said.

"If there is a ceasefire that means there should be no reason for not giving a chance for humanitarian aid to reach everyone," he added.

For this reason, de Mistura saw past and future talks in the Kazak capital of Astana as an important factor complementing the political track in Geneva.

He also said that pending discussions with the UN Secretary-General as well as the UN Security Council next week, he hopes to reconvene with warring Syrian parties at the end of the month.