Syria unity government talks ‘to start within months’

The al-Nusra Front is a major ally of rebel groups under the umbrella of the Free Syrian Army in most parts of Syria.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said the resolution sent a clear message that now was the time to stop the killing in Syria.

Some 20 foreign ministers on Friday were tackling those and other hard issues for a possible end to Syria’s civil war, including sorting out which Syrian groups will represent the opposition in peace talks in the new year.

The resolution came after Moscow and Washington clinched a deal on a text. If approved, it would endorse the continued battle to defeat Islamic State militants who have seized large swaths of both Syria and neighboring Iraq.

“President Assad in our judgement… has lost the ability, the credibility to be able to unite the country and to provide the moral credibility to be able to govern it”.

“We often hear the argument that without resolving the Assad question, it is impossible to truly coordinate in the fight against terrorism”, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.

“It’s going to be uphill”, said U.N. Envoy to Syria Staffan de Mistura. The ministers said they would meet again next month. “In January, we expect to be at the table and implement a full cease-fire”, he said.

Karim Bitar, head of research at the Institute for worldwide and Strategic Affairs, described the UN-backed plan as “a very significant first step” but added that “many ambiguities and ulterior motives remain”. Nor has Mr. Assad said he would participate, though he will be under pressure from Russian Federation and Iran to do so.

United Nations diplomats said a key stumbling block was how to address the issue of the transitional government.

French foreign minister Laurent Fabius also cast doubt on the future of process if Mr Assad remains, saying guarantees were required and the idea that he could stand in any elections that follow was “unacceptable for us”.

The resolution has requested UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to convene representatives of the Syrian government and the opposition for peace talks “on an urgent basis”, and also to determine the requirements and modalities of a ceasefire, which are also stated in Geneva and Vienna documents.

Russian Federation is now agreeing to the drafting of a new constitution and new elections, a position that has evolved over the last few months.

“For this to work, the process has to be led and shaped and decided by the men and women of Syria”, Kerry said.

Friday’s resolution also expressed its support for this timeline.

Diplomats close to the talks said Friday that there is heated discussion among the nations in the meeting about the list of groups that will be considered terrorist groups and unable to take part in talks.

A group of countries will join Jordan in developing that list, Kerry told reporters, without giving details. Lavrov warned against efforts to “divide terrorists among good and bad ones”.

The five nations who have the power of veto on the United Nations Security Council have agreed the text of a draft resolution aimed at establishing peace in Syria. “Without peace talks, the cease-fire can not be sustained”.

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

Originally, Western powers hoped the council would rubber-stamp a resolution endorsing a two-year road map for talks between Syria’s government and opposition on a unity government expected to begin in January and eventual elections.