Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab-African Affairs, Hossein Jaberi Ansari, who accompanied FM Mohammad Javad Zarif in the one-day Syrian talks in the Swiss city of Lausanne on Saturday, maintained that two-thirds of the negotiation time during the meeting was devoted to security issues and ceasefire.
“The talks specifically focused on ceasefire, and the recent truce pact brokered by Russia and the US, its failure and the reasons for its failure, that is the differentiation of terrorist groups, particularly al-Nusra and ISIL, from other Syrian groups,” he added.
“We talked at length about the ways for separating these groups, the considered criteria in this respect, and the schedules related to this issue,” he said.
Jaberi Ansari went on to add that a part of the discussion was also concerned with humanitarian affairs and the escalation of emergency relief delivery in Aleppo and other regions in Syria.
The Iranian diplomat further noted that the next issues to be discussed at the international talks are the political aspect of the Syrian crisis and the future prospect for this country; “there was little discussion on this topic, but the consensus was that the sides would continue talks on these issues as soon as possible,” he added.
The Saturday ministerial talks on Syria was held in the Swiss city of Lausanne with foreign ministers of Iran, Iraq, Egypt, Turkey, Qatar, the US, Russia, and Saudi Arabia in attendance and is scheduled to continue on Monday.
MS/3796569