Talks on a political solution to the civil war in Syria got under way Friday, with 17 countries plus the United Nations and European Union taking part.
Syria itself was not represented, but senior envoys from Turkey, Italy, Britain, Lebanon, Iran, Jordan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Egypt, Germany, Qatar, France, the UAE, Oman, the United States and China were present in Vienna.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry sat at the head of the table for the meeting, the first that brought together all the main outside players in the four-year-old Syrian crisis, including bitter foes Iran and Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir was sat almost as far from his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif as was possible at the tight U-shaped table in the conference room of Vienna’s grand Imperial Hotel.
Most of the countries were represented by their foreign ministers but China sent vice foreign minister Li Baodong.
The United Nations was represented by its special envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura.
The multi-lateral meeting in Vienna is the first to include Iran in efforts to find a political solution to end the four-year-long Syrian civil war, in which at least 200,000 people have been killed and millions have been displaced.
Speaking after arriving in the Austrian capital, Kerry said he hoped progress could be made at the talks.
“I am hopeful. I don’t call it optimism,” Kerry told reporters before Friday’s talks. “I am hopeful that we can find a way forward. It is very difficult.”
Meanwhile, the German Foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said the discussions could prove successful “if we all come and negotiate prepared to really contribute to a de-escalation of the Syrian conflict”.
Syrian opposition
Separately, Russia’s deputy foreign minister Mikhail Bogdanov said his country wants the Syrian opposition to agree a common approach and make-up of a delegation for talks with the Syrian government.
Russia and Saudi Arabia had exchanged lists of Syrian opposition figures to be potentially included in the talks during a meeting in Vienna, and Russia wanted the Syrian Free Army and the Kurds to take part, Bogdanov was quoted by Interfax as saying.
Bogdanov said Russia’s list had 38 names on it, but that Moscow was flexible and happy for the list to be expanded, Interfax reported. He said the United States had promised to hand over its own list. (Reuters, AFP, Al Arabiya)
Syria itself was not represented, but senior envoys from Turkey, Italy, Britain, Lebanon, Iran, Jordan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Egypt, Germany, Qatar, France, the UAE, Oman, the United States and China were present in Vienna.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry sat at the head of the table for the meeting, the first that brought together all the main outside players in the four-year-old Syrian crisis, including bitter foes Iran and Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir was sat almost as far from his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif as was possible at the tight U-shaped table in the conference room of Vienna’s grand Imperial Hotel.
Most of the countries were represented by their foreign ministers but China sent vice foreign minister Li Baodong.
The United Nations was represented by its special envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura.
The multi-lateral meeting in Vienna is the first to include Iran in efforts to find a political solution to end the four-year-long Syrian civil war, in which at least 200,000 people have been killed and millions have been displaced.
Speaking after arriving in the Austrian capital, Kerry said he hoped progress could be made at the talks.
“I am hopeful. I don’t call it optimism,” Kerry told reporters before Friday’s talks. “I am hopeful that we can find a way forward. It is very difficult.”
Meanwhile, the German Foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said the discussions could prove successful “if we all come and negotiate prepared to really contribute to a de-escalation of the Syrian conflict”.
Syrian opposition
Separately, Russia’s deputy foreign minister Mikhail Bogdanov said his country wants the Syrian opposition to agree a common approach and make-up of a delegation for talks with the Syrian government.
Russia and Saudi Arabia had exchanged lists of Syrian opposition figures to be potentially included in the talks during a meeting in Vienna, and Russia wanted the Syrian Free Army and the Kurds to take part, Bogdanov was quoted by Interfax as saying.
Bogdanov said Russia’s list had 38 names on it, but that Moscow was flexible and happy for the list to be expanded, Interfax reported. He said the United States had promised to hand over its own list. (Reuters, AFP, Al Arabiya)
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