United Nations adopts Syria resolution

But others have expressed doubts about the resolution’s effectiveness, as parties failed to reach consensus on some disputed questions… like the fate of President Bashar al-Assad.

The resolution, which comes at a summit of 17 foreign ministers in NY, rubber-stamps a plan agreed on in Vienna last month that would lead to the establishment of a transitional government in Syria within six months and new elections within 18 months.

He stressed that there is no military solution to the crisis and political negotiation is the only viable option. Hijab served as prime minister and agriculture minister under Assad before defecting in 2012, the highest-profile Syrian official to do so in more than four years of the conflict.

In Syria, airstrikes reportedly carried out by Russian warplanes killed at least 14 people on Friday, according to activists, while Assad made a rare public appearance at a church in the capital, Damascus, attending preparations for Christmas Eve, his office said.

UK Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said the unanimous approval of the United Nations resolution is a “significant step” towards ending the country’s civil war.

He said Kerry’s efforts in NY offered “an opportunity, not to turn back the clock- it’s going to be hard to completely overcome the devastation that’s happened in Syria already- but to find a political transition that maintains the Syrian state, that recognises a bunch of stakeholders inside of Syria and hopefully to initiate a ceasefire”.

A Syrian rebel fighter, reportedly belonging to the Faylaq al-Rahman brigade, holds a position durin … The elections should be “free and fair” and they should include Syria’s diaspora, allowing the people who evaded the conflict to participate in the elections.

There is also disagreement over which opposition groups should form part of the negotiations. Jordan’s foreign minister presented a draft list of “terrorist” groups that the ISSG nations will agree to exclude from the talks.

It reiterated previous calls for Member States to suppress terrorist acts by Islamic State, Al-Nusra Front and all others.

“The initial work has been done”.

And it demanded that Russian Federation halt its own air strikes as part of that truce.

The agreed time for the beginning of the talks between the government and opposition is early January.

Bringing the Assad government and UN-backed opposition groups together would be a challenge. Assad responded with sarcasm when asked whether he was comforted that Washington’s stance on his departure had seemingly softened.

The resolution came after Russian Federation and the United States clinched a deal on a text.

“Shiism was not native to Nigeria as it is now; the appeal of the Islamic Revolution and Islamic Awakening which are championed by Iran, had a critical factor in channeling the minds and hearts of millions of people to the cause represented by Imam Khomeini (RA) and the Leader of the Islamic Revolution; their numbers soared in that they could organize Arbaeen rallies in streets”, Velayati detailed.