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Hopes for Syria Talks Hinge on Kerry-Lavrov Meeting Hopes for Syria Talks Hinge on Kerry-Lavrov Meeting
(about 2 hours later)
GENEVA — Secretary of State John Kerry and Russia’s foreign minister, Sergey V. Lavrov, will meet next week to discuss Syria, according to a statement released by the United Nations on Tuesday, after senior Russian, United States and United Nations officials meeting in Geneva failed to make headway on plans for a peace conference.GENEVA — Secretary of State John Kerry and Russia’s foreign minister, Sergey V. Lavrov, will meet next week to discuss Syria, according to a statement released by the United Nations on Tuesday, after senior Russian, United States and United Nations officials meeting in Geneva failed to make headway on plans for a peace conference.
Plans for the Kerry-Lavrov meeting provided the only concrete detail to come out of more than five hours of talks between Wendy R. Sherman, the United States under secretary of state for political affairs; two Russian deputy foreign ministers, Mikhail Bogdanov and Gennady Gatilov; and the United Nations special representative for Syria, Lakhdar Brahimi.Plans for the Kerry-Lavrov meeting provided the only concrete detail to come out of more than five hours of talks between Wendy R. Sherman, the United States under secretary of state for political affairs; two Russian deputy foreign ministers, Mikhail Bogdanov and Gennady Gatilov; and the United Nations special representative for Syria, Lakhdar Brahimi.
The terse statement issued at the end of their meeting said that Russia, the United States and the United Nations would consult further to determine the date of a conference and complete the list of participants. Mr. Gatilov told journalists that these were among the questions on which they had failed to agree. Ms. Sherman, who was due to join the Russian officials for informal talks over dinner, made no comment.The terse statement issued at the end of their meeting said that Russia, the United States and the United Nations would consult further to determine the date of a conference and complete the list of participants. Mr. Gatilov told journalists that these were among the questions on which they had failed to agree. Ms. Sherman, who was due to join the Russian officials for informal talks over dinner, made no comment.
Before the meeting started, Mr. Brahimi said he doubted any conference could take place in July and expressed hope that the major powers and regional powers would act to contain a conflict that was “getting out of hand.”Before the meeting started, Mr. Brahimi said he doubted any conference could take place in July and expressed hope that the major powers and regional powers would act to contain a conflict that was “getting out of hand.”
Tuesday’s meeting only went over in detail the points raised at a round of talks earlier this month, according to an official in contact with those at the meeting but not authorized to comment publicly. The issue of who attends the conference has proved a sticking point, with the United States opposed to participation by Iran. A thornier problem is the role, if any, of President Bashar al-Assad of Syria. Tuesday’s meeting only went over in detail the points raised at a round of talks this month, according to an official in contact with those at the meeting but not authorized to comment publicly. The issue of who attends the conference has proved a sticking point, with the United States opposed to participation by Iran. A thornier problem is the role, if any, of President Bashar al-Assad of Syria.
Both sides agreed the peace conference should lead to formation of a transitional government with full executive powers over all institutions of state, but the United States interprets that to mean a full transfer of powers from Mr. Assad. Russia, however, has insisted that only Syrians can decide his role. Both sides agreed the peace conference should lead to the formation of a transitional government with full executive powers over all institutions of state, but the United States interprets that to mean a full transfer of powers from Mr. Assad. Russia, however, has insisted that only Syrians can decide his role.
Syria’s foreign minister, Walid al-Moallem, in a news conference Monday, 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. Syria’s foreign minister, Walid al-Moallem, in a news conference Monday, 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, adding. “We head to Geneva not to hand over power to another side.”
But prospects for convening any conference looked remote in the face of the rigid positions held by parties fighting a civil war in Syria with undiminished ferocity.But prospects for convening any conference looked remote in the face of the rigid positions held by parties fighting a civil war in Syria with undiminished ferocity.
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-caliber weapons and other supplies. “Providing arms may be the only means of achieving peace,” said Qatar’s prime minister, Sheik Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani.
Mr. Moallem, reacting to that decision on Monday, warned that “arming the opposition will obstruct Geneva,” a reference to a possible peace conference. “Arming the opposition will kill more of our people.”
Mr. Kerry conferred on Tuesday on Saudi Arabia with his Saudi counterpart on ways to support the armed Syrian opposition.
The Saudis, one of the main supporters of the Syrian rebels, have long pressed the United States to do more to help them.
In a joint news conference in Jidda with Mr. Kerry, Prince Saud al-Faisal, the Saudi foreign minister, angrily accused the Assad government of engaging in “genocide.” Iran’s support of Mr. Assad and its role in drawing Hezbollah into the fight on the side of the Syrian government, the prince said, made Syria an “occupied land.” The Assad government, he asserted, was also benefiting from weapons from Russia.
"This must end," said Prince Saud, who added that the international community should declare the Syrian government "illegitimate."
Prince Saud would not say specifically how Saudi Arabia would expand its support for the Syrian rebels, only that it would help “in the most effective way that we can.”
Mr. Kerry echoed the strong criticism of Iran’s role, saying it was “in effect managing a war” for the Assad government by sending arms and Quds Force personnel and by encouraging Hezbollah to join the fight.
Mr. Kerry would not say what weapons the United States and its allies are providing or how this assistance might be expanded. He repeated that the goal was to prod the Assad government to negotiate a political transition in Geneva, though many experts have said it is far from clear that arms shipments alone can do that.
“We’re trying to understand as well as possible what each nation is doing today, what they’re prepared to do,” Mr. Kerry said of his meeting with Prince Saud, “so that coordination effort was a subject of discussion today.”

Nick Cumming-Bruce reported from Geneva, and Michael R. Gordon from Jidda, Saudi Arabia.