Kerry, Lavrov try to settle differences over Syrian talks

US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met today in hopes of resolving differences over who is eligible to join UN-mediated peace talks for Syria due to begin next week.
Those differences have threatened to delay the start of the negotiations.
The State Department said the two men had discussed plans for the negotiations that the UN special envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, hopes to convene in Geneva on January 25 and "the importance of maintaining progress toward a diplomatic solution to the crisis."
But, while both sides said they did not support a delay in the talks, it was not immediately clear if the differences had been resolved.

"We do not have any kind of thoughts about changing the beginning of the talks from January to February," Lavrov told reporters. "This is the position of Russia and the USA."
"The political process will begin, we hope, in the nearest future, during January," he said.

"Various dates have been named, but the final decision will be taken by the Secretary-General of the United Nations on the advice and recommendations of his special envoy Staffan de Mistura."
Lavrov added that the main topic of conversation with Kerry was "coordination," primarily about terrorist organization, which would be left out of the political process as well as a ceasefire that is envisioned to take effect once the negotiations begin.

In the meeting, Kerry also called for Russia to use its influence with Syrian President Bashar Assad "to ensure immediate, unimpeded and sustained humanitarian access to all Syrians in need," State Department spokesman John Kirby said, particularly in besieged communities like Madaya, where deaths from starvation have been reported.
The negotiations between the Assad government and the opposition are to be the first step in a proposed 18-month political transition for Syria, which has been mired in civil war for four years.
Differences over which Syrian opposition groups should be labeled terrorists and barred from the negotiations and the ceasefire have led to concerns that the talks may have to be postponed.

Russia and Iran, which back Assad, have immense differences with Saudi Arabia, other Arab states, the United States and Europe over which opposition groups should be considered terrorists and therefore excluded from an 18-month political transition process the UN has endorsed.