For the first time in more than five years of civil conflict, representatives of the Syrian government and the rebels sat at the same table to negotiate, but the atmosphere of the talks in Astana – a very tense, opposing sides don’t even speak to each other directly but communicate through intermediaries.
It is reported by Euronews.
The head of the government delegation and the Syrian representative at the UN Bashar al-Jaafari called the rebel negotiators as “terrorists”:
“Provocative and defiant tone of the statement by the head of delegation of the terrorists is a challenge and an insult to diplomats involved in the negotiations”.
In turn, representatives of the rebels likened the Syrian government army with the militants of the “Islamic state” and warned that it will resume hostilities if negotiations fail.
“Russia in its role of the guarantor will be successful only when it is able to force its allies – the Syrian regime and Iran to respect the ceasefire,” said the legal adviser of the Free Syrian army Osama ABO Zaid.
Russia, along with Turkey and Iran is one of the organizers of these talks in the capital of Kazakhstan. Since February 8, the negotiation process should proceed under the auspices of the UN.
Meanwhile, in Syria the fighting continues with Islamic state and other Islamist groups. Groups-participants of the conflict, recognized as terrorist, do not participate in the negotiations.
On Monday the Russian air force conducted another bombing near the city of Deir ez-Zor.
As reported yesterday in Astana began two-day talks on peaceful settlement of the conflict in Syria.
