UN Says Cannot Confirm Syria Talks Postponement

The timing of the next Syria talks in Geneva was thrown into doubt on Friday after the UN said it could not confirm a Russian announcement that they had been postponed.


Meeting in Moscow with minor Syrian opposition figures, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the UN-hosted talks planned for February 8 had been "put back" until the end of the month.

But a spokeswoman for UN special envoy Staffan de Mistura said there was "no confirmation" the talks had been postponed, AFP reported.

Lavrov's remarks were made three days after talks between Damascus and rebel representatives wrapped up in the Kazakh capital Astana without tangible progress.

Ahead of the Geneva meet, de Mistura was scheduled to head to New York on Monday for talks with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and would also update the Security Council, his spokeswoman said.

"We're going to be sure when the special envoy is back," she said.

UN spokeswoman Alessandra Vellucci also said the list of those invited to Geneva had not been finalized.
  [tasnimnews.com]
27/1/17
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