De Mistura hints “extension” of Syria peace talks

The UN envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura has hinted a possibility to extend for one more day peace talks, currently held in Astana, to end conflict in Syria.
 He added that a “final declaration was close to being achieved at indirect talks between Syrian rebels and Damascus in the Kazakh capital of Astana.”
"We are not far from a final declaration," Staffan de Mistura said. "There are very intense discussions because this is not about a paper, this is about a cessation of hostilities which means Syrian lives."
Earlier, rebel spokesman Yehya al-Aridi said that the group would not sign a declaration coming out of the talks, saying it would be issued by its sponsors, rebel backer Turkey, regime ally Russia and possibly Iran.
He added that the final declaration was a "general statement" that is "not meant to be signed by the parties".
Yesterday, the rebels backed out of face-to-face negotiations with Damascus over the regime's continued bombardment and attacks on a flash point outside the capital Damascus.
The armed opposition has said that the Astana talks should aim to bolster a frail truce brokered by Moscow and Ankara last month but the regime has called for a political solution to the conflict and for rebels to lay down their arms in exchange for an amnesty.
The first day of the talks yielded no apparent breakthrough.
The two sides sat at the same table for the opening statements, but spent the rest of the day negotiating via mediators.
The talks were billed as the first face-to-face negotiations between the regime and the armed opposition since Syria's conflict erupted in 2011.
More than 310,000 people have been killed and more than half of Syria's population displaced since then.