UN Envoy calls on «cessation of hostile statements» among Syrian delegations

GENEVA. KAZINFORM UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura on Wednesday requested delegations participating in the new round of the UN-led Intra-Syrian talks to refrain from statements aimed at delegitimizing other invitees, Xinhua reports.

In a media statement issued Wednesday, the UN Envoy said that such statements are "unhelpful" and thus he urges the "cessation of such statements".

De Mistura in the statement also urged the Syrian delegations who are in Geneva to engage seriously and without preconditions in the just-started talks.

"As the eighth round of intra-Syrian talks has now started, he stresses that the time has come to focus on achieving real progress on the political process, in the interest of the Syrian people," the statement said.

The UN Envoy on Wednesday met separately with the Syrian opposition and government delegations, giving no details of the meeting but said that such meetings and discussions will continue on Thursday.

Following a meeting with Head of the Syria government delegation Ambassador Bashaar Ja'afari in a hotel in Geneva, who arrived in Geneva on Wednesday, de Mistura told reporters that "I just had a long, but very useful in my opinion, meeting with the delegation of the government of Syria."

Being asked about the atmosphere in the meeting, the UN Envoy said that the atmosphere in the meeting was "constructive and professional".
"We decided that we should continue having this meeting in the UN Headquarters in Geneva, this will be the first official meeting that we will be holding with the delegation of the Syrian government, and then we will continue tomorrow as well," he said.

The UN official also told reporters that he is intending to have both sides staying in Geneva to continue the meetings next week, after a possible weekend off.

"What is important is that we have an ongoing process of discussions, and that will be one of the subjects," he stressed.