US, Russia agree to United Nations resolution for Syria talks

The resolution was adopted unanimously after Ban briefed the UNSC on his meeting earlier in the day with the International Syria Support Group (ISSG), comprised of the Arab League, the European Union, the United Nations, and 17 countries, including the U.S. and Russian Federation, which have been seeking a path forward for several months.

US Secretary of State John Kerry described the United Nations plan as “a milestone” in the efforts to end the conflict.

The interview came just before talks at the UN Security Council, which resulted in a resolution mapping the road to a settlement of the conflict.

The council’s adoption of a resolution Friday backing the plan comes amid world powers’ growing sense that the top priority in Syria should be the defeat of the Islamic State group, which has exploited the country’s years of chaos and created a base from which it promotes deadly attacks overseas.

The resolution also “calls upon all states to use their influence on the government of Syria and the Syrian opposition in order to advance the peace process, promote the implementation of confidence-building measures and steps towards a ceasefire”.

The U.N. Security Council voted unanimously Friday for a resolution supporting negotiations to end the fighting and bring political stability to Syria.

There must be “guarantees on the departure of Bashar al-Assad”, he said. “We are confident the Secretary General and de Mistura will heed these instructions, and be guided by task of assisting in the finding of a mutually acceptable agreement as required by this resolution”, Lavrov said.

He explained the strategy gave Syrians a “real alternative… between war and peace”.

Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh said he presented lists submitted from each country of groups they consider terrorist organizations. And Syria’s main opposition group said a January 1 deadline for starting talks was “too ambitious”. Western officials say a recent meeting in Saudi Arabia of opposition figures made significant headway in coming up with an opposition bloc, though Russian Federation and Iran questioned the legitimacy of the Saudi-hosted discussions.

But Syria’s United Nations ambassador Bashar Jaafari said there was a “glaring contradiction” between outside countries talking about letting Syrians decide their future yet also insisting on replacing Mr Assad.

Although Moscow and Washington have edged closer on some matters – Moscow allowing that Assad will probably have to go eventually, Washington allowing that he probably can stay a little longer than they originally hoped – they do not yet appear ready to agree on what a transitional government would look like.