Latest Geneva talks lay basis for substantive talks: Syrian opposition

The Syrian opposition delegation on Thursday told the press that after 10 days of peace talks here in Geneva, they feel like that both sides have perhaps laid the basis for substantive talks at the next round.

"We have not had those substantive talks and what we believe can happen is that over the coming two weeks before we come for the next round, that will lead us directly into a discussion about the political transition," one member of the Syrian opposition delegation said during a press conference after they met with the UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura Thursday afternoon.

The Syrian opposition delegate, Bassma Kodmani, also highlighted the importance of meetings taking place in Moscow this week between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his American counterpart John Kerry.

"This is a unique moment, a precious moment," she said following the High Negotiations Committee's (HNC) fifth and last meeting with UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura.

The Saudi-backed HNC, the umbrella group for Syrian opposition factions locked in bloody conflict with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, has been engaged in proximity negotiations with the Syrian government delegation since March 14.

While no consensus on political transition, negotiations have yielded a modicum of hope for the next round of talks scheduled for April.

"The special envoy has drafted a paper, in which he has presented his understanding of points of convergence between the two sides. We think this paper is constructive and we have discussed it in a positive spirit," Kodmani said. Endit