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Russian and U.S. Officials Return to Geneva for Talks on Syria Russian and U.S. Officials Return to Geneva for Talks on Syria
(about 4 hours later)
GENEVA — Senior United States and Russian officials returned to Geneva on Tuesday for another round of talks at the United Nations on convening an international conference on Syria but with no hint of flexibility from parties to the conflict or their foreign backers. GENEVA — Senior United States, Russian and United Nations officials resumed talks in Geneva on Tuesday aimed at convening an international conference on Syria but with no hint of flexibility from the parties to the conflict or their foreign backers.
Wendy R. Sherman, the United States under secretary of state for political affairs, was to join two Russian deputy foreign ministers, Mikhail Bogdanov and Gennady Gatilov, and the U.N. special representative for Syria, Lakhdar Brahimi, for the second session in a month aimed at starting negotiations in Geneva on a political settlement to the civil war. Wendy R. Sherman, the United States under secretary of state for political affairs, and two Russian deputy foreign ministers, Mikhail Bogdanov and Gennady Gatilov, met the U.N. special representative for Syria, Lakhdar Brahimi, for the second time in less than a month to try to agree on a formula for bringing Syria’s warring parties to negotiations on a political settlement to end more than two years of civil war.
Secretary of State John Kerry and his Russian counterpart, Sergey V. Lavrov, began the series of talks in May in a bid to halt the carnage that has claimed more than 90,000 lives. The meeting Tuesday in Geneva was being held against a backdrop of developments that could hardly look less propitious. Their discussions were to include the possible timing of a conference, who would attend and how to structure a conference to give it the best chance of success, Mr. Brahimi said before the talks started.
The Group of 8 meeting in Northern Ireland last week underscored the divide between Russian President Vladimir V. Putin, President Bashar al-Assad’s chief patron, and President Obama, now spurred by revelations of chemical weapons use in Syria to provide some weapons for rebel forces. The situation in Syria has not improved since they last met in Geneva in early June with “relentless destruction, killing, more suffering, more injustice,” Mr. Brahimi said, adding that he was doubtful it would be possible to hold a conference on Syria in July.
With Mr. Assad’s forces, backed by Iran and the militant Lebanese Shiite faction Hezbollah, gaining the upper hand in Syria, supporters of the rebels in the Friends of Syria group, including the United States, agreed over the weekend on the urgent need to provide them with arms and other supplies. Secretary of State John Kerry and his Russian counterpart, Sergey V. Lavrov, began preliminary talks in May in a bid to halt the carnage that has claimed more than 90,000 lives.
The Group of 8 meeting in Northern Ireland last week underscored the divide between President Obama and the Russian president, Vladimir V. Putin, who is President Bashar al-Assad’s chief patron.
With Mr. Assad’s forces — backed by Iran and Lebanon’s militant Shiite faction, Hezbollah — gaining the upper hand in Syria, supporters of the rebels in the Friends of Syria group, including the United States, agreed over the weekend on the urgent need to provide them with small arms and other supplies.
“Providing arms may be the only means of achieving peace,” said Qatar’s prime minister, Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber al-Thani.“Providing arms may be the only means of achieving peace,” said Qatar’s prime minister, Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber al-Thani.
But Syria’s foreign minister, Walid al-Moallem, retorted in a televised news conference on Monday, “Arming the opposition will obstruct Geneva. Arming the opposition will kill more of our people.” The Syrian foreign minister, Walid al-Moallem, reacting to that decision on Monday, warned that “arming the opposition will obstruct Geneva. Arming the opposition will kill more of our people.”
At their first meeting in Geneva earlier this month, the American and Russian officials agreed on a basic formula for a Syria conference hosted by the U.N. but they did not resolve such basic questions as who would attend, with the Americans opposing participation by Iran, and the thornier question of what role would be open to Mr. Assad.At their first meeting in Geneva earlier this month, the American and Russian officials agreed on a basic formula for a Syria conference hosted by the U.N. but they did not resolve such basic questions as who would attend, with the Americans opposing participation by Iran, and the thornier question of what role would be open to Mr. Assad.
In his news conference, Mr. Moallem sought to dispel any idea that Mr. Assad’s position was open to debate. The goal of any Geneva meeting would be to form a government of national unity, he said. “We head to Geneva not to hand over power to another side,” he added.In his news conference, Mr. Moallem sought to dispel any idea that Mr. Assad’s position was open to debate. The goal of any Geneva meeting would be to form a government of national unity, he said. “We head to Geneva not to hand over power to another side,” he added.
If anyone imagines this, he said, “I advise them not to go to Geneva.” The comments were “unfortunate but not surprising,” a State Department spokesman said in Washington. The United States believes a negotiated settlement in Geneva would stipulate the full transfer of power to a transitional authority, he added.