Decisions on Syria unity government must come within 1-2 months

On Thursday, the UN Security Council unanimously passed a resolution submitted jointly by Russian and the U.S. which allows punishing individuals or companies involved in trade with Islamic State or other terror groups.

“The resolution we just reached is a milestone, because it sets specific goals and specific timeframes”, he added.

It “demands that all parties immediately cease any attacks against civilians and civilian objects” and “stresses that the Syrian people will decide the future of Syria”. He told reporters that he was “not too optimistic about what has been achieved today, but a very important step has been made … for Syrians to determine the future of their country”.

Foreign ministers from 17 countries were meeting in NY to push forward on a plan to launch the political transition to end Syria’s almost five-year war.

But Fred Hof, a former top US diplomat handling Syria now at the Atlantic Council, warned that regardless of Assad’s fate, until Russian Federation and Iran are willing to press him to stop bombing the Syrian people, there is little hope the political process will yield any results and that the bloodshed will end.

Iran said it would work with Russia, Oman, Egypt, Turkey, Jordan and France to prepare a list of extremist groups it wants to see banned from talks.

Zarif also said “we still don’t know” if there will be any concrete progress in the talks that are aimed at bringing an end to Syria’s conflict.

US Secretary of State John Kerry travelled to Moscow this week to assure Syrian President Bashar al- Assad’s key ally that Washington is not seeking “regime change” in Syria.

He once again said it is up to the Syrian people to determine the future of their country and its current leader.

“The talks on Friday and the resolution that may or may not come out of the talks on Friday really will set the stage for whether or not the Syrian conflict is resolved in a quick manner or whether it remains drawn out”, said Ashooh of the Atlantic Council.

Najib Ghadbian, the SNC’s envoy to the United Nations, said opposition groups needed “a month or so” to prepare for the political talks that would begin in tandem with a ceasefire.

Within six months, the process should establish “credible, inclusive and non-sectarian governance”, with UN-supervised “free and fair elections” to be held within 18 months.

This would include but may not be limited to Islamic State and the Al-Qaeda-linked Nusra Front, with ISSG members still haggling over the final line-up. That would not help the peace process, he said.

Friday’s NY talks were the first by the ISSG since Saudi Arabia gathered a coalition of Syria rebel groups to form an opposition negotiating team. He said some countries “sent 10, 15, 20 names” and others more.

Diplomats said discussions were focused on which groups in Syria should be considered terrorist organizations.

Any halt to hostilities would not apply to air strikes against so-called Islamic State (IS) – also known as Isis, Isil and Daesh – and other terrorist groups, it makes clear, amid fears they could otherwise benefit.