US-Russia cooperation key to fighting Islamic State in Syria — EU Chief

Key differences include what, if any role Syrian President Bashar Assad should play in any transition government and which groups fighting him should be grouped as terrorists.

Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, right, and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry arrive to address the media before a meeting in Vienna, Austria, Saturday Nov.14, 2015.

French President Francois Hollande pledged a “merciless response” to the attacks, which he said had been organized by the Islamist militant force.

Britain is participating in air strikes against Islamic State in Iraq but Cameron has said he will not extend the mission to Syria without the backing of parliament, something that he does not yet have.

‘The impact of the war bleeds into all of our nations, ‘ Kerry said.

The discovery of a Syrian passport on an attacker in Paris has once again underlined the urgent need to begin a peace process in Syria which is facing a multi-cornered civil war since February 2011.

Russian Federation has for weeks been carrying out air strikes in Syria in support of Assad’s forces. What about Hezbollah, or hardline groups among the rebels?

Moscow’s proposals for elections in Syria following an 18-month constitutional reform process have received a frosty reception in the West because they do not guarantee Mr Assad’s departure from power.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says the manner of removing sanctions and the implementation of the United States’ commitments have been discussed during a meeting with US Secretary of State John Kerry. “This political process should be followed by a ceasefire, which will help us to identify terrorists”.

That aside, the talks will focus on deciding which of the Syrian government, rebel and opposition factions – none of whom will be represented at the talks – will shape the country’s future. The United Nations and its Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura have been tasked with supervising the creation of such a group, Lavrov said.

The Russian minister added that the list of terrorist organizations should be finally approved at the next negotiations.

He said the attacks could also bridge the gap between the stances of the Western countries and the Russians in the next phase “and we may see a few détente on the global arena regarding the Syrian crisis”. “This is momentum. We can start at any time”, he said in a news conference after the deal was announced.

Assad said he had “warned against what would happen in Europe for the past three years”.

Within six months, the negotiations between the Syrian sides would have to set up a “credible, inclusive and non-sectarian” transitional administration that would draw up a new constitution and then hold free and fair elections within 18 months. He said the incidents would “stiffen” the resolve of world powers to fight back.

He said the time frame mentioned was also 18 months, within which constitutional reform and elections should be completed.