Syria: Moscow talks ends peacefully

The talks between the Syrian government and the opposition have ended in Moscow after four days with the prospect of holding another meeting. The Moscow talks are already seen as a positive step towards ending the war in Syria although the U.S backed Syrian opposition based in Turkey is reported to have been absent.

The head of the Moscow-based Institute for Eastern Studies, Vitaly Naumkin, served as the moderator of the meeting and said that having different opposing groups sitting down to discuss was already a progress and added that “it would have been naive to expect that the sides would solve all problems during their very first consultations.”

State-owned news agency in Damascus quoted Bashar Jaafari, head of the Syrian government’s delegation to Moscow, claiming that the opposition was not able to come up with “a unified position” even on humanitarian matters. Jaafai stated that the government delegation was “positive and open.”
Qadri Jamil, formerly a senior official in Assad’s government who joined the opposition and now serves as the head of Bashar Jaafari, head of the Syrian Popular Front for Change and Liberation and the Coalition Forces for Peaceful Changes, said a ten point proposal was made to the government amongst which are the cessation of bombing attacks on civilians by both sides, release of prisoners, food deliveries to all Syrian regions without exception, creation of a joint human rights commission to monitor the food delivery.

Reports have claimed that only four points have been agreed upon by the parties. Suheir Sarmini, Deputy Secretary General of the Syrian National Youth Party, said amongst them are the delivery of humanitarian aid to all regions without exception and the end of economic sanctions imposed against Syrian people.