The UN envoy for Syria said today that a final declaration was close to being achieved at indirect talks between Syrian rebels and their war-torn country’s regime in Kazakhstan’s capital Astana.
The talks, which yielded no apparent breakthrough yesterday, could have been the first face-to-face negotiations between the regime and the armed opposition since Syria’s conflict erupted in 2011, but the rebels backed out.
“We are not far from a final declaration,” UN envoy Staffan de Mistura said.
“There are very intense discussions because this is not about a paper, this is about a cessation of hostilities which means Syrian lives.”
Rebel spokesman Yehya al-Aridi said the rebels would not sign a final declaration coming out of the talks, saying it would be issued by their sponsors, rebel backer Turkey, regime ally Russia and possibly Iran.
