Syrian government delegation arrives for Geneva UN talks
UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan di Mistura, left, with Bashar al-Jaafari, Syrian chief negotiator, in Geneva on Wednesday
Keystone
A Syrian government delegation arrived in Geneva on Wednesday, a day later than expected, to attend United Nations-sponsored peace talks being held this week - the eighth round since 2016.
This content was published on
1 minute
swissinfo.ch and agencies
The delegation, led by Syria’s ambassador to the United Nations Bashar al-Jaafari, had delayed its planned departure for the talks because of the opposition’s insistence that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad step down. Russia reportedly helped persuade the Syrians to attend.
The UN Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, said on Tuesday the government and opposition would have a chance to negotiate directly for the first time, but it was not certain if they would do so.
A breakthrough in the talks is viewed as unlikely as Assad and his allies, including Moscow, push for total military victory in Syria’s civil war, and his opponents continue to demand he leave power.
Nasr Hariri, head of the newly-unified Syrian opposition delegation, told reporters in Geneva on Monday that he was aiming for a negotiated removal of Assad.
The Syrian civil war, now in its seventh year, has killed over 340,000 people and sparked the world’s worst refugee crisis, driving some 11 million from their homes.
swissinfo.ch and agencies/sb
Most Read Swiss Abroad
More
The citizenship obstacle course facing spouses of Swiss Abroad
Swiss committee wants to end government resignations during legislative term
This content was published on
Members of the Federal Council should no longer be able to leave office before the end of their term, according to a House of Representatives committee.
Swiss government seat: Ritter and Pfister nominated to succeed Amherd
This content was published on
Markus Ritter from St Gallen and Martin Pfister from Zug were officially nominated by the Centre Party on Friday to succeed Defence Minister Viola Amherd.
Top Swiss court rejects Russian request for administrative tax assistance
This content was published on
There is currently no reason to transmit banking information to the Russian Federation, the Swiss Federal Court has ruled.
After strike by radiologists, doctors demonstrate in Bern
This content was published on
Following a strike by radiology technicians in Fribourg, doctors, vets, dentists and chiropractors expressed their frustration on Friday outside parliament in the Swiss capital.
Eurovision and bleak world situation are top themes at Basel carnival
This content was published on
The Eurovision Song Contest and the gloomy global situation are among the main themes of Basel Fasnacht (carnival) this year.
Prices of Swiss investment properties continue to rise despite stagnating rents
This content was published on
Although rents in Switzerland stagnated or fell in the final quarter of last year, prices for investment properties continued to rise. Both apartment buildings and office properties have become more expensive.
Probe into wrong Swiss pension figures clears federal office
This content was published on
Employees of the Swiss Federal Social Insurance Office (FSIO) did not breach their duty of care when calculating pension prospects, an investigation has concluded.
This content was published on
Hotels in the southern Swiss canton of Ticino welcomed significantly more guests last December than in the same month of the previous year.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Syrian peace talks in Geneva: what’s going on?
This content was published on
Here is a short guide to the sixth round of the intra-Syrian peace negotiations, which are taking place in Geneva and set to run from May 16-19.
This content was published on
The 52-year old head of the chemistry division of the Spiez Laboratory of the Federal Office for Civil Protection, will be a part of the Leadership Panel of the Joint Investigative Mechanism on Chemical Weapon Use in Syria that was created by UN Security Council in 2015. The job of the panel is to investigate…
This content was published on
Switzerland has urged the international community to tackle the escalating Syrian crisis through diplomatic means rather than military confrontation.
This content was published on
In an interview with Swiss television, UN panel member Carla Del Ponte has called for President Bashar al-Assad to be brought to justice.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.