De Mistura in Iran ahead of Geneva Talks
Local Editor
UN Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura arrived in Tehran Tuesday for talks with Iranian officials on the eve of fresh negotiations in Geneva.
De Mistura will meet Iran's deputy foreign minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian, Iranian media reported, ahead of the latest effort to end five years of fighting that have killed more than 270,000 people. The conflict also forced millions to flee their homes, creating a refugee crisis in Europe.
Relatively, the UN Security Council passed a resolution in December that led to the talks. A framework called for Syrian elections to be held 18 months after a transitional government is agreed.
Meanwhile, as the Syrian opposition insists that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad can play no role in a transitional government, the Syrian government and Iran consider that voters should decide his fate.
De Mistura, a veteran diplomat and negotiator in conflict zones including Iraq and Afghanistan, said Monday when in Damascus that this week's Geneva meetings would be "crucially important."
"We will be focusing in particular on the political transition, on governance and constitutional principles," he told reporters after meeting Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem.
Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team
Comments
- Related News
