UN Security Council adopts roadmap for Syria peace

It was the first meeting of the International Syrian Support Group since Saudi Arabia brought together a coalition of Syria rebel and opposition groups to form a negotiating team.

Zarif said “we still don’t know” if there will be any concrete progress in the talks.

US Secretary of State John Kerry said the resolution sends “a clear message to all concerned that the time is now to stop the killing in Syria”.

It endorses the 17-member ISSG as the main body dealing with the Syria peace process; validates the peace plan agreed to by the ISSG in Vienna last month, including a ceasefire between the regime and opposition in six months and talks leading to drafting a new constitution; and gives the United Nations a leading role in working with the regime and opposition on negotiating a ceasefire and drafting a constitution, which officials said is aimed at putting an global stamp on the peace process.

Iran, a top Syria ally, will attend.

Despite their agreement, the major powers are bitterly divided on who may represent the opposition as well as on the future of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Kerry said other countries would help Jordan draw up a final list.

Agreement on a resolution came after a meeting of the so-called International Syria Support Group at New York’s Palace Hotel.

The UK – which has been conducting air strikes against IS following a high-stakes Commons vote earlier this month – hopes that a move to a transitional government could allow non-extremist elements in Syria to join forces in turning their fire on IS.

Russian Federation has meanwhile made clear to Western nations that it has no objection to Assad stepping down as part of a peace process, in a softening ahead of the NY talks of its staunch and open backing of Assad, diplomats said.

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

U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power was phoning each of the remaining 10 members of the council to brief them on the text, said diplomats, speaking on condition of anonymity. “There are still countries that think Assad is the solution to fighting Daesh (Islamic State), which is the complete opposite of our view”.

The Islamic State jihadist group which has seized large parts of Syria and Iraq, and the Al-Qaeda affiliated Al-Nusra Front were excluded from the Riyadh meeting.

“We’re not entering any negotiation until all the points in “Geneva 1″ (a roadmap agreed upon in 2012) are applied, which is that Assad and his government must not be in power, the transitional period has to be without him and he must be tried for his crimes”, said Mr Hijab.

At an earlier ministerial meeting, Ban said he urged the government and opposition to implement confidence-building measures, including a halt to the use of barrel bombs and other indiscriminate weapons against civilians, as well as granting unconditional access to aid convoys, lifting restrictions on the delivery of medical aid and releasing all detainees.