Syria: UN security council approves draft resolution on peace process

It has recognized the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces as “the sole legitimate representative of the Syrian people”, and demanded Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to step down.

He made the remarks following the third round of worldwide talks on the crisis in Syria in NY on Friday.

Sergei Lavrov, the Russian Foreign Minister, said: “I do not think that everyone who is there on the ground should be invited to participate in the talks”.

Syrian political analysts believe the adoption of the UN Security Council resolution on Syria is a significant step towards solving the conflict in the country.

Tehran will work with Russia, Oman, Egypt, Turkey, Jordan and France to prepare a list of terror groups and the real Syrian opposition, Amir-Abdollahian said.

Iran will maintain its backing for the Syrian regime, a senior Iranian official said, after the United Nations Security Council unanimously endorsed a plan to end the war.

The four-year armed conflict in Syria could be wrapped up in less than a year, if foreign aid to terrorist groups were cut in earnest, Syrian President Bashar Assad told the Dutch media ahead of peace talks in NY.

The resolution asked the Secretary-General to determine the modalities of ceasefire and plan to support its implementation and called on member states, above all ISSG members, to accelerate all efforts to achieve a ceasefire.

More than 200,000 people have been killed in the almost five year long civil war in Syria.

US Secretary of State John Kerry told reporters that the world is going to see in the next few months whether the peace process actually takes hold.

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

There is also disagreement over which opposition groups should form part of the negotiations.

It reiterated previous calls for Member States to suppress terrorist acts by Islamic State, Al-Nusra Front and all others. He urged key powers, including top Syria allies Russian Federation and Iran, to match their words with actions.

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. “There obviously remain sharp differences within the global community, especially about the future of President Assad”.