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Negotiations Expected to be Held Early 2017 after Vienna Talks Failed | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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Vienna Talks on Tuesday failed to set date for talks, AFP


Beirut- The optimism expressed by U.N. Special Envoy to Syria Staffan di Mistura when speaking of the regional scenery every now and then, is no longer capable of hiding the pessimistic atmosphere that dominates the diplomatic and political circles.

These circles are expecting what’s worse after the Vienna talks, and are suggesting that Syria is on a date with a “hot summer” and a return for a “comprehensive war” after a stage of different truces, the majority of which have collapsed.

A pessimistic atmosphere pervaded the meeting in Vienna between countries that support the leader of the Syrian regime, Bashar al-Assad, and the opposition, all of which have committed to reviving a ceasefire and peace process that have been unraveling since last month.

Notably, the foreign ministers of major powers failed to agree a new date to resume the Syrian peace talks at a meeting on Tuesday, and the opposition said it would not come back to the Geneva negotiations unless conditions improved on the ground.

De Mistura told a news conference there was still a strong desire to keep the peace process moving.

“We cannot wait too long; we want to keep the momentum. I’m not revealing the exact date at the moment because it will depend also on other facts,” he said.

He also noted that the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, which begins in early June, was coming soon. “We need to bear in mind that credible intra-Syrian talks will become credible when there is a credible development on the cessation of hostilities and a credible improvement on the humanitarian side.”

For its part, Syria’s main opposition, the High Negotiations Committee, expressed positivity in dealing with outcomes of the Vienna talks, confirming that it does not want to return to a comprehensive war in Syria, and that it is committed to the negotiations sponsored by the U.N. to reach a fair political solution for the crisis.

“The Vienna Communiqué listed towns where our fellow Syrians are starving under siege and crying out for humanitarian access,” HNC spokesman Salem al-Meslet said in a statement.

“Assad is not only blockading those towns, but also blocking the path to a political solution, which is the only way to end the suffering,” he added.