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Syria Geneva II: First full day of talks to begin Syria Geneva II: First full day of talks begin
(about 1 hour later)
Syria's warring parties are due to begin formal peace talks in Geneva, for the first time since the conflict began three years ago. A UN negotiator is meeting members of both Syria's government and the opposition on Friday, in an effort to end the three-year civil conflict.
The government and rebel delegations will be in separate rooms and conduct negotiations through a UN mediator. But despite hopes of a joint meeting between the two sides, mediator Lakhdar Brahimi is holding talks with each in a different room at a different time.
There are still entrenched divisions - with the government wanting to focus on terrorism, and the opposition on how to remove President Bashar al-Assad. Both sides blame the other for the separate meetings.
Diplomats say a main concern will be ensuring neither side walks out. The Damascus delegation has complained about defiant remarks made by the opposition chief Ahmed Jarba.
On Thursday Mr Jarba called President Assad and his regime a "political corpse" which could not be part of Syria's future.
For its part, the opposition has said it will not meet government delegates face-to-face until they have signed a written commitment accepting the Geneva communique drafted 18 months ago, which calls for a transitional government.
Syria's civil conflict has claimed well over 100,000 lives, the UN says.Syria's civil conflict has claimed well over 100,000 lives, the UN says.
The violence has also driven 9.5 million people from their homes, creating a major humanitarian crisis within Syria and for its neighbours.The violence has also driven 9.5 million people from their homes, creating a major humanitarian crisis within Syria and for its neighbours.
Unprecedented talksUnprecedented talks
This is the third day of the conference, but the first in which negotiations get under way in earnest, after UN mediator Lakhdar Brahimi shuttled between the two sides on Thursday assessing their willingness to meet. This is the third day of the conference, but the first in which negotiations get under way in earnest.
The opening meeting on Wednesday in the Swiss resort of Montreux saw acrimonious exchanges. Mr Brahimi is meeting representatives for the Assad regime in the morning, and will hold talks with opposition delegates later on Friday.
The Geneva talks are unprecedented, as the two sides have never before agreed to hold formal discussions. The talks are ostensibly about the implementation of the Geneva I communique, but the views of the government and the opposition are so diametrically opposed that Friday's discussions may get no further than preliminary attempts to set a common agenda, the BBC's Bridget Kendall in Geneva reports.
The talks are ostensibly about the implementation of the Geneva I communique, which was agreed at a previous summit in 2012 and calls for a transitional government in Syria with full executive powers. She says even that may prove difficult: The government is expected to insist on the importance of fighting what it sees as terrorism, while the opposition wants a high priority to be put on the removal of Mr Assad. And now the two sides are no longer going to meet face-to-face at the beginning of the discussions - and perhaps throughout the whole conference.
But the views of the government and the opposition are so diametrically opposed that Friday's discussions may get no further than preliminary attempts to set a common agenda, the BBC's Bridget Kendall in Geneva reports. Diplomats say the setback is not surprising and is not a sign of the talks collapsing.
And even that may prove difficult: The government is expected to insist on the importance of fighting what it sees as terrorism, while the opposition wants a high priority to be put on the removal of Mr Assad. And analysts are still hopeful that at least some progress can be made.
The two delegations will sit in separate rooms. While the two sides are opposed on many issues, they have both indicated a willingness to talk about concrete steps like local ceasefires, prisoner exchanges and establishing safe corridors for the delivery of badly needed humanitarian aid.
There was initial optimism that they might meet briefly at the beginning of the day, for a joint address by Mr Brahimi, but this now appears unlikely as the opposition says it is not prepared to meet the government delegation until it endorses the Geneva I communique. It is not clear if the opposition demand meant there would be no face-to-face talks for the duration of the Geneva talks.
But analysts are still hopeful that some progress can be made.
While the two sides are diametrically opposed on many issues, they have both indicated a willingness to talk about concrete steps like local ceasefires, prisoner exchanges and establishing safe corridors for the delivery of badly-needed humanitarian aid.
Assad's roleAssad's role
One of the main sticking points between the government and the rebels is the role of Bashar al-Assad.One of the main sticking points between the government and the rebels is the role of Bashar al-Assad.
The opposition demands his removal from office as a condition for peace.The opposition demands his removal from office as a condition for peace.
It is supported in this by many key foreign observers: The US Secretary of State John Kerry has called Mr Assad "a one-man super-magnet for terrorism". It is supported in this by many key foreign observers: US Secretary of State John Kerry has called Mr Assad "a one-man super-magnet for terrorism".
But Syrian officials have flatly rejected any suggestion of Mr Assad stepping down, and he has even suggested he will run for president again in elections due this year.But Syrian officials have flatly rejected any suggestion of Mr Assad stepping down, and he has even suggested he will run for president again in elections due this year.
The Syrian government also has its supporters: Russia's Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich has told the BBC that nobody other than Mr Assad can run Syria at the moment.The Syrian government also has its supporters: Russia's Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich has told the BBC that nobody other than Mr Assad can run Syria at the moment.