Syria’s Assad has to go – eventually: UK

But the indefatigable Secretary of State John Kerry is making another try this weekend in Vienna, and there’s more to this effort than just his good intentions.

Earlier on Friday, Hammond said at a news conference in Prague: “We believe that Bashar al-Assad has to go as part of the transition in Syria but we recognize that there will be a transition, he may play a part in that up to a point of departure”.

Kerry stressed the importance of the ground battle even as he set off for the Vienna talks, which he said would include China, Egypt, France, Germany, Iran, Iraq, Italy, Jordan, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Arab League, European Union and United Nations.

Diplomatic officials have already started arriving in Vienna ahead of talks bringing together a few 20 countries and global bodies on Saturday. The conflict has allowed Islamic State militants to carve out significant parts of Syria and Iraq for their would-be caliphate and commit atrocities, particularly against women and minorities, that a few human rights groups consider genocide.

Despite the common threat posed by terrorists and extremist groups in the region, the “reaction of the United States and Western partners was quite restrained, ” Putin said.

On Wednesday, working groups tasked with identifying “terrorists”, defining the legitimate opposition and identifying humanitarian issues began preparations for the talks. Mr Assad’s government routinely labels all those who oppose it as “terrorists”. Mr Saleh remained powerful behind the scenes, pushing his country to war and devastation in March this year.

“The Russians and the Iranians want to keep Assad in place”.

They are hoping to plot a way forward for a cease-fire and political transition in Syria to end the country’s devastating war but must overcome deep differences to do so.

Kerry departed Thursday for Tunisia, which he’ll visit before traveling to Vienna, the capital of Austria.

U.S. State Department spokesman John Kirby said the talks were organized to be “very inclusive about participation”.

Syria will be high on the agenda in the Turkish resort of Antalya when Mr Cameron joins leaders of other world powers at the two-day G20 summit, which will also focus on the migration crisis and the global threat from terrorism.

Progress has been hard in preparatory meetings, officials said, adding that the ministers might be able to move more quickly towards ending the conflict, in which 250,000 people have been killed and four million have fled Syria.

Putin said all “potential risks and consequences” of Russia’s airstrikes in Syria have been “carefully calculated many times” and “all the resources needed for the operation, both financial and technological, have been allocated in advance”.

The two men discussed the possibilities of increasing trade in agricultural products despite the limitations imposed by the US embargo on the communist island that has prevailed since 1962, although it has been eased in certain areas by President Barack Obama.