De Mistura: The UN still determined to hold next round of Syrian talks before end of August

Geneva, SANA – UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura reaffirmed on Thursday that there should be no preconditions for the Syrian-Syrian talks.

In a press conference in Geneva, de Mistura said the United Nations is still determined to hold the next round of intra-Syrian talks before the end of August, adding that the humanitarian work could not be useful without a political process.

He pointed out that the UN is looking with a great interest at the talks between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow in order to know the parties that will participate in the Syrian dialogue.

De Mistura said the UN supports the U.S.-Russian joint actions and discussions to strengthen the cessation of hostilities in Syria, saying that time is a key factor in this matter and that both parties are aware of that.

In the same context, de Mistura said a 48-hour pause is required to ensure delivery of aid to Aleppo as three-hour pauses are not enough, noting that the Russian side has showed willingness to discuss means to improve the initial initiative on humanitarian pauses.

M. al-Frieh/H. Said

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