Pro-Russia opposition joins Syria peace talks
AFP
Peace talks to end the war in Syria intensified Wednesday with the inclusion of a pro-Russian opposition group, as the UN widened efforts to find a political solution to the conflict, reports AFP.
The entry into the Geneva talks of the so-called Moscow Group followed Russias decision to withdraw most of its forces from Syria, where they had been fighting in support of President Bashar al-Assad.
This surprise withdrawal continued Wednesday as a second group of Russian warplanes flew out of Syria, with SU-25 combat aircraft and IL-76 transport planes pulled out of Russias Hmeimim base in Syria.
The Moscow Group is tolerated by Damascus and has not insisted on Assads departure as a pre-condition for setting up a transitional government, which is an unequivocal demand of the main opposition High Negotiations Committee (HNC).
It was not immediately clear what impact the inclusion of the pro-Moscow group would have, or whether it was a gesture from United Nations mediator Staffan de Mistura to Russia following the troop pull-out.
De Mistura has said the Russian withdrawal could have a positive impact on the negotiations aimed at ending the five-year civil war and that Moscows announcement on the day the talks opened was not a coincidence.
After multiple failed efforts to negotiate an end to brutal conflict that has killed more than 270,000 people, de Mistura has said he sees added momentum at this round of dialogue, which comes as a ceasefire imposed on February 27 remains broadly in place.
The UNs envoys tentative optimism was backed by US Secretary of State John Kerry who will head to Moscow next week to discuss the peace drive.
