2nd LD: Syrian government to attend peace talks in Geneva, says U.N. official

GENEVA, Nov. 28 (Xinhua) -- Representatives of the Syrian government will arrive here on Wednesday for the 8th round of Syria peace talks brokered by the United Nations, a U.N. official said at a routine media briefing on Tuesday.

Alessandra Vellucci, director of the U.N. Information Service in Geneva, told the briefing that they have not yet arrived for the talks due to start on Tuesday, but U.N. special envoy for Syria Staffan De Mistuna had received a message that they are planning to arrive on Wednesday.

Shortly after the briefing, De Mistuna confirmed that the Syrian opposition delegation had arrived in Geneva for the talks.

Earlier on Monday, De Mistuna said that the Syrian government had not committed to attending the talks, though he had called on the parties in the negotiations to "prepare for real talks" and "real diplomacy."

The U.N. Security Council also urged all Syrian parties on Monday to actively participate in the Geneva political process without preconditions and to support efforts to ensure its success.

The Syrian armed conflict broke out in 2011 and quickly turned into a full-fledged war which, according to U.N. figures, has resulted in more than 330,000 deaths and displacement of millions. Enditem