UN Syrian Envoy to meet separately with government and opposition on Monday

The office of the UN Special Envoy for Syria on Sunday announced that the UN representative will separately meet with the Syrian government and opposition delegations on Monday, thus continuing the just started intra-Syrian talks.

The UN Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, will meet with delegation members from the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic on Monday morning, and with the main opposition High Negotiations Committee (HNC) in the afternoon, the announcement said.

The Special Envoy paid a "courtesy visit" to the delegation of HNC at their hotel in Geneva following their arrival Saturday evening, and held a "short informal meeting" with the delegation, which was described as "useful" in addressing issues relating to the Intra-Syrian talks.

While at the same time, the U.N. Deputy Special Envoy for Syria, Ramzy Ezzeldin Ramzy, also on Sunday afternoon paid a "courtesy" visit to the hotel of the delegation of the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic to discuss practical arrangements related to the next steps in the talks, the spokesperson said.

On Friday, the HNC decided to participate in the talks after receiving alleged assurances from the United Nations and the United States, despite its announcement to boycott the talks which the United Nations had refused to postpone for a second time.

UN-brokered meetings are to take place over the next six months in view of finding lasting peace for Syria, a country at war since 2011. Endit