UN endorses peace process for Syria; no mention of Assad

The New York talks are the first meeting of the International Syria Support Group since Saudi Arabia gathered a coalition of Syria rebel groups to form an opposition negotiating team.

The Security Council, which met at the level of foreign ministers, asked UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to convene representatives of the government and opposition in formal negotiations early next month on a political transition as a step to lasting peace.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad speaks with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin (R) during a mee …

U.N. Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura, right, shows a copy of a Security Council resolution concerning Syria, during a press conference with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, left, and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, center, Friday, Dec. 18, 2015 at U.N. headquarters.

Zarif said, “It is utterly absurd that those who have denied their own population the most rudimentary tenets of democracy, such as a constitution and elections, are now self-declared champions of democracy in Syria”.

“Russia would not have voted for a resolution in which it would have been written that Assad needs to step down”.

Wang noted the “severe threat posed by worldwide terrorism”, a reference to the Islamic State group, which has exploited the chaos to seize large parts of Syria.

It also requests Ban report back to the Security Council on the implementation of the resolution, “including on progress of the UN-facilitated political process”, within 60 days.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi was singled out for praise by Kerry, for coming all the way to United Nations headquarters in NY for just “one day”.

“I reiterate the readiness of the Syrian government to participate effectively on any honest effort where the Syrians will determine their choices through dialogue under Syrian leadership and not foreign intervention”, he said, adding that all countries should coordinate with his government. 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. “Without peace talks, the cease-fire can not be sustained”.

The resolution makes clear that the blueprint it endorses will not end the conflict, deep into its fifth year with well over 300,000 killed, because “terrorist groups”, including the Islamic State group and the al-Qaida-linked al-Nusra Front, are not part of the cease-fire.

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

It also backed a timeline previously agreed in Vienna for talks between Syria’s government and opposition in the country, followed by elections.

Assad has portrayed himself in recent interviews with the Western media as a protector of Syria’s minorities, saying his rule was an example of religious tolerance in a country threatened by Islamist insurgents who have taken swathes of territory and seek to impose their version of strict Islam.