02:09Germany: Steinmeier calls on Syria peace talk parties to return to Geneva
German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier met with UN Special Envoy to Syria Staffan de Mistura, head of the Syrian opposition’s High Negotiation Committee (HNC) Riad Hijab and French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault in Berlin, Wednesday. Steinmeier and Ayrault made statements before the meeting which is aimed at creating conditions to continue the Syria peace talks in Geneva.
Steinmeier stressed that "the most decisive is to fulfil the prerequisites" before resuming to political negotiations while he expects to see "ceasefire of hostilities in Aleppo." He also called upon parties to return to Geneva for talks.
Jean-Marc Ayrault announced his initiative to invite ten Arab countries to Paris coming Monday to consult on resolving the Syrian crisis. "I myself took the initiative to invite in Paris next Monday ten Arab countries which have the affinity, by that I mean that they support the opposition," Ayrault said.
The French diplomat also underlined the significance of involving Russia and US co-chairing the International Syria Support Group (ISSG). "They have to come together very soon and intervene because we talk about a humanitarian situation," he added.
De Mistura has warned that the Syrian ceasefire could collapse at any time and called on the United States and Russia to revitalise their efforts to maintain the truce. The Berlin visit of the UN envoy to Syria follows a meeting with US Secretary of State John Kerry in Switzerland on May 2 and a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov the following day.
De Mistura has stated that the talks would hopefully resume in May and predicted that the overall process would continue as previously planned through July.
02:09German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier met with UN Special Envoy to Syria Staffan de Mistura, head of the Syrian opposition’s High Negotiation Committee (HNC) Riad Hijab and French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault in Berlin, Wednesday. Steinmeier and Ayrault made statements before the meeting which is aimed at creating conditions to continue the Syria peace talks in Geneva.
Steinmeier stressed that "the most decisive is to fulfil the prerequisites" before resuming to political negotiations while he expects to see "ceasefire of hostilities in Aleppo." He also called upon parties to return to Geneva for talks.
Jean-Marc Ayrault announced his initiative to invite ten Arab countries to Paris coming Monday to consult on resolving the Syrian crisis. "I myself took the initiative to invite in Paris next Monday ten Arab countries which have the affinity, by that I mean that they support the opposition," Ayrault said.
The French diplomat also underlined the significance of involving Russia and US co-chairing the International Syria Support Group (ISSG). "They have to come together very soon and intervene because we talk about a humanitarian situation," he added.
De Mistura has warned that the Syrian ceasefire could collapse at any time and called on the United States and Russia to revitalise their efforts to maintain the truce. The Berlin visit of the UN envoy to Syria follows a meeting with US Secretary of State John Kerry in Switzerland on May 2 and a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov the following day.
De Mistura has stated that the talks would hopefully resume in May and predicted that the overall process would continue as previously planned through July.