UN to kick-off peace talks in Geneva next week

The United Nations Secretary-General's Special Envoy on Syria will begin next week a series of in-depth, separate consultations with Syrian stakeholders and regional and international actors to take stock of their views on reopening peace talks based on the 2012 so-called Geneva Communique, a spokesperson for the Organization has announced.

In a note to correspondents issued today, the UN spokesperson confirmed that Special Envoy Staffan de Mistura had invited "as many of the parties as possible" to the Geneva Consultations on Syria scheduled to begin on 4 May at UN Headquarters in Geneva and expected to last for an initial period of five to six weeks.

The meetings, the noted added, would serve to facilitate discussion on the dire situation in Syria today and provide a forum for all parties to deliver their candid views on where we stand vis-a-vis implementation of the Geneva Communiqu? almost three years since it was adopted.

According to the UN spokesperson, the Special Envoy and the Deputy Special Envoy, Ramzy Ezzeldine Ramzy, will conduct closed and separate consultations with each party.