25 January 2014
Last updated at 13:50 ET
Lakhdar Brahimi said getting an aid convoy into the
war-shattered city of Homs was discussed on Saturday, with prisoner
releases on the agenda for Sunday.
"We haven't achieved much but we are continuing," he told reporters.
Delegates in Geneva are aiming at small concessions, not a full peace deal.
Mr Brahimi said he was trying to build confidence by broaching humanitarian issues first.
"The situation is extremely complex - very difficult - and we are moving in half-steps," he said, adding that by trying to make progress on humanitarian issues, he was aiming to "create an atmosphere" that would eventually enable advances on the 2012 Geneva I communique, which set out a blueprint for peace talks.
In the first meeting, the two delegations filed in through
separate doors into one room in the UN Geneva Headquarters, and sat down
at the same U-shaped table, but said nothing to each other.
Mr Brahimi said another two-hour meeting had taken place in the afternoon.
He admitted no direct words had been exchanged but said the two sides were "talking through me to one another.
"This is what happens in civilised discussions," he said, where sides addressed each other via the chairperson.
"I think it's a good beginning," he said, adding he was "praying for some good news" to come on humanitarian issues on Sunday.
Sunday's meeting will focus on the issue of imprisoned and kidnapped people in Syria.
Negotiators would "see if something can be done to secure the freedom of at least some of the people deprived of their freedom", Mr Brahimi said.
'Dictators don't like to listen'
Syria talks: Humanitarian issues top Geneva agenda
Lakhdar Brahimi: "We haven't achieved much, but we are continuing"
Humanitarian
issues were top of the agenda in the first tentative meetings between
Syrian regime and opposition forces in Geneva, the UN mediator says.
"We haven't achieved much but we are continuing," he told reporters.
Delegates in Geneva are aiming at small concessions, not a full peace deal.
Mr Brahimi said he was trying to build confidence by broaching humanitarian issues first.
"The situation is extremely complex - very difficult - and we are moving in half-steps," he said, adding that by trying to make progress on humanitarian issues, he was aiming to "create an atmosphere" that would eventually enable advances on the 2012 Geneva I communique, which set out a blueprint for peace talks.
Continue reading the main story
In the heart of the grand Palace of Nations that is the UN
headquarters in Geneva, the two delegations filed in the same room and
sat down at the same U-shaped table, but said nothing to each other.
Only the UN mediator Lakhdar Brahimi spoke. The stiff formality of such a meeting is designed to avoid anything going wrong. The two sides are not addressing each other directly, but only communicating through Mr Brahimi.
Slow cumbersome diplomacy, but, as one diplomat here put it, "small steps are better than no steps".
As for the central tricky political questions surrounding a transitional government and what this might mean for President Assad, it is interesting that multiple sources, including the Damascus delegation, are saying they might start discussions on Monday.
It is a subject upon which the two sides vehemently disagree - a point at which tempers may fray and these peace talks may look vulnerable again. But both sides say they are planning to be in Geneva until the end of next week before pausing for a break. That must be a positive sign.
Analysis
Only the UN mediator Lakhdar Brahimi spoke. The stiff formality of such a meeting is designed to avoid anything going wrong. The two sides are not addressing each other directly, but only communicating through Mr Brahimi.
Slow cumbersome diplomacy, but, as one diplomat here put it, "small steps are better than no steps".
As for the central tricky political questions surrounding a transitional government and what this might mean for President Assad, it is interesting that multiple sources, including the Damascus delegation, are saying they might start discussions on Monday.
It is a subject upon which the two sides vehemently disagree - a point at which tempers may fray and these peace talks may look vulnerable again. But both sides say they are planning to be in Geneva until the end of next week before pausing for a break. That must be a positive sign.
"Ending terrorism and violence"
is the top priority, Syrian officials say. They insist it is too early
to discuss President Bashar al-Assad's position.
Mr Brahimi said another two-hour meeting had taken place in the afternoon.
He admitted no direct words had been exchanged but said the two sides were "talking through me to one another.
"This is what happens in civilised discussions," he said, where sides addressed each other via the chairperson.
"I think it's a good beginning," he said, adding he was "praying for some good news" to come on humanitarian issues on Sunday.
Sunday's meeting will focus on the issue of imprisoned and kidnapped people in Syria.
Negotiators would "see if something can be done to secure the freedom of at least some of the people deprived of their freedom", Mr Brahimi said.
'Dictators don't like to listen'
There is hope that minor progress will pave the way for the
discussion of wider issues like political transition next week, although
there has been no sign of common ground on this so far.
Shortly after the initial meeting, the chief of staff to the
leader of Syria's National Coalition, Monzer Akbik, claimed that the
transition process had started in earnest.
"Today we had the chance to speak directly to regime... You know dictators usually, they don't like to listen. But today they had to listen to us and to the voice of the Syrian people that they want transition from dictatorship to democracy."
However Syria's Ambassador to the UN Bashar Jafari - part of the government delegation - earlier told the BBC that it was "too early" to talk of Mr Assad stepping down and that the issue was "not the priority".
"Item number one should be putting an end to the terrorism and to the violence," he said.
The envoy said the common ground between the parties "should be that we should talk about everything, everything, without any selectivity... and no preconditions and no hidden agendas".
But he accused the coalition delegation of harbouring "personal hatreds towards the government for whatever reasons".
Syria's civil conflict has claimed well over 100,000 lives since it began in 2011.
The violence has also driven 9.5 million people from their homes, creating a major humanitarian crisis within Syria and for its neighbours.
Opening a corridor to allow humanitarian aid into areas of Homs is thought to be under discussion
Opposition negotiators, seen here arriving at the talks venue, want the Syrian president to step down
Syria's Ambassador to the UN told the BBC talking about President Bashar al-Assad's position was "not the priority"
The government delegation has said the main issue of the
talks is finding a solution to foreign-backed "terrorism", by which it
means the whole of the armed opposition.
The opposition, however, had insisted that the regime commit in writing to the Geneva I communique, which called for a transition process.
The communique urged Syria to form a transitional governing authority that "could include members of the present government and the opposition and other groups".
Bashar Jafari says suggestions that discussions will include talking about President Assad's future are "a big lie"
"Today we had the chance to speak directly to regime... You know dictators usually, they don't like to listen. But today they had to listen to us and to the voice of the Syrian people that they want transition from dictatorship to democracy."
However Syria's Ambassador to the UN Bashar Jafari - part of the government delegation - earlier told the BBC that it was "too early" to talk of Mr Assad stepping down and that the issue was "not the priority".
Monzer Akbik said talks would focus on the country's humanitarian crisis as well as political transition
The envoy said the common ground between the parties "should be that we should talk about everything, everything, without any selectivity... and no preconditions and no hidden agendas".
But he accused the coalition delegation of harbouring "personal hatreds towards the government for whatever reasons".
Syria's civil conflict has claimed well over 100,000 lives since it began in 2011.
The violence has also driven 9.5 million people from their homes, creating a major humanitarian crisis within Syria and for its neighbours.
Opening a corridor to allow humanitarian aid into areas of Homs is thought to be under discussion
Opposition negotiators, seen here arriving at the talks venue, want the Syrian president to step down
Syria's Ambassador to the UN told the BBC talking about President Bashar al-Assad's position was "not the priority"
Continue reading the main story
Geneva Communique
A UN-backed meeting in 2012 issued the document and urged Syria to:- Form transitional governing body
- Start national dialogue
- Review constitution and legal system
- Hold free and fair elections
The opposition and government are fundamentally divided over the aims of the conference.
The opposition, however, had insisted that the regime commit in writing to the Geneva I communique, which called for a transition process.
The communique urged Syria to form a transitional governing authority that "could include members of the present government and the opposition and other groups".
No comments:
Post a Comment
Please leave a comment-- or suggestions, particularly of topics and places you'd like to see covered