Syrian government negotiator quits Geneva talks
(VOVWORLD) -Syria’s government delegation quit UN-led peace talks in Geneva on Friday and said it would not return next week unless the opposition withdrew a statement demanding President Bashar al-Assad play no role in any interim post-war government.
 Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. ( Photo: REUTERS/TTXVN ) |
Syrian government chief negotiator Bashar al-Ja‘afari said after a morning of talks, that for Syria this round is over, adding that the government is considering the possibility of sending its delegation back to Geneva talks next week.
Previously there had been some speculation the opposition could soften its stance ahead of this week’s Geneva negotiations, in response to government advances on the battlefield.
The Syrian civil war, now in its seventh year, has killed hundreds of thousands of people and driven 11 million from their homes. All previous rounds of peace talks have failed to make progress, faltering over the opposition’s demand Assad leave power and his refusal to go.