Special Envoy de Mistura (center) briefing the press in Geneva (UN Photo)
Geneva (IINA) – UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura announced Wednesday that "substantive" UN-mediated peace talks will begin next Monday, as humanitarian aid convoys continue to reach more people in besieged and hard-to-reach areas following a nationwide cessation of hostilities that began on February 27.
“Quite an achievement,” de Mistura told reporters in Geneva, referring to the 238,485 people the United Nations and its partners have delivered aid to via 536 trucks, according to UN News Center.
The Special Envoy said the participants have begun to arrive in Geneva, where he will hold “proximity talks” over the coming days as more of the parties arrive. He added that he expects to start substantive discussions, known as the intra-Syrian talks on March 14, in a round which he expects will end by the same day.
During the talks, focus will be on new governance, constitution, and presidential and parliamentary elections within 18 months’ time, according to de Mistura.
AB/IINA
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