UN Security Council adopts Syria peace plan

Diplomats said the main problem with the resolution involved Russian and Iranian concerns about how to refer to a bloc of opposition groups that would join UN-led peace talks with the Syrian government set to begin in January.

The Assad’s administration has for long portrayed itself as a protector of the minority groups in Syria in the face of the wave of jihadi groups and ultra-radical militants, such as the Islamic State (IS) and the al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front.

But Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin on Thursday hinted at significant disagreements on the draft resolution from the Security Council’s five veto powers – the United States, Britain, France, Russia and China – divided despite weeks of high-level meetings and discussions aimed at finding a compromise.

He was speaking in NY, where 17 nations including Russian Federation, the United States, and regional rivals Iran, Turkey and Saudi Arabia met on Friday to discuss a road map for peace in Syria.

Diplomats had rushed to overcome divisions on the draft resolution while world powers held the latest talks on how to bring an end to the conflict.

“We emphasized today that the United States and its partners are not seeking regime change, as it is known, in Syria”, Kerry said Tuesday at the Kremlin after talks with Putin.

“We are under no illusions about the obstacles that exist”, Kerry said. “There obviously remain sharp differences within the global community, especially about the future of President Assad”, Kerry added.

“It’s going to be uphill”, said U.N. Envoy to Syria Staffan de Mistura. The opposition is finalizing the makeup of its delegation for talks with the government that are supposed to start next month.

As with the question of Assad’s fate, diplomats say it will be extremely hard to reach consensus on a list of terrorist groups to be excluded and legitimate members of an opposition who would participate in the negotiations.

On Friday afternoon, Kerry will chair a Safety Council assembly that goals to “reinforce efforts to speed up an finish to the battle, together with mandatory formal negotiations between representatives of the Syrian authorities and the opposition”, Kirby informed reporters in a information briefing.

Tense talks… US Secretary of State John Kerry talks to British Ambassador Christopher Prentice prior to the security council meeting on the situation in Syria.

“As the first resolution to focus on the political path to resolving the crisis, this marks a very important step on which we must build”, the Secretary-General told the Council, calling on ISSG States to pressure the sides to immediately implement confidence-building measures, including an end to the use of indiscriminate weapons against civilians, unimpeded access for aid convoys and the release of all detainees. The plan says nothing about Assad’s future but says that “free and fair elections would be held pursuant to the new constitution within 18 months”. The bulk of the anti-ISIL military campaign to date has been undertaken by an worldwide coalition led by the US, but Russia’s campaign of airstrikes from September, which have bolstered the Assad government, have also intermittently targeted ISIL.

During a break in Friday’s talks, Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh said he had presented a document compiling the groups each country attending considered to be a “terrorist” organization. He said some countries “sent 10, 15, 20 names” and others more. “I don’t think those timetables are realistic”, Ghadbian told reporters. The U.N. says tens of thousands of people are trapped in besieged areas.

After this week’s announcement by Saudi Arabia of a multinational Muslim anti-terror coalition, Zarif indirectly accuses the Saudi regime of being a principal sponsor of Sunni extremism and of undermining the Syrian peace talks by backing hardline Salafist groups.

He said that IS is on the run, but will continue to be risky for some time.