Italy welcomes resumed Syrian peace talks

Rome, Dec 21 (IANS/AKI) Italian Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano on Wednesday hailed the resumption of United Nations brokered peace talks in Geneva between the Syrian government and opposition.

"I greatly appreciate the efforts made by UN envoy Staffan De Mistura on Syria's behalf during the last round of negotiations in Geneva," Alfano said, referring to the eight round of talks that ended in Geneva last Thursday without a breakthrough.

"On the other hand, while I recognise the commitment and the pragmatic and constructive approach shown by the opposition, the continuing refusal by Damascus to commit to the talks by resorting to pretexts and setting preconditions is deplorable," he said.

The guideline for the eighth round of talks was the 2015 unanimously adopted UN Security Council Resolution 2254, which endorses a peace map for Syria with a focus on setting in motion a new constitutional process, governance, counter-terrorism, and freeing detainees as a confidence-building measure.

"A political solution to the Syrian conflict can only occur through the Geneva process under the auspices of the UN and in line with UNSC Resolution 2254," Alfano stressed.

In an apparent reference to Russian-sponsored Sochi peace process to be held in February, he said: "We hope that other possible international initiatives in support of the Syrian political process do not present themselves as alternatives to the Geneva framework."

"Doing so could risk prolonging Syria's civil war."

--IANS/AKI

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