Powers gather in Vienna to discuss Syria crisis
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(L-R) Russian FM Sergei Lavrov, US Secretary of State John Kerry and UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura follow a news conference in Munich, Feb. 12, 2016. (Photo by AFP)
Top diplomats from 17 nations have resumed Vienna talks on the Syria conflict, hoping to reinvigorate a peace effort that has effectively collapsed.
According to the reports, US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov were chairing the meeting of the International Syria Support Group (ISSG) on Tuesday.
Powers attending the talks are Russia and Iran on the one hand, supporting Syrian President Bashar Assad, and the US, Saudi Arabia and European states on the other, trying to topple him with the help of militants.
Russia said Lavrov met Kerry ahead of the talks, discussing the need to cut off the supply routes benefiting terrorists “primarily those crossing the Syrian-Turkish border."
Lavrov also met Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif who said Iran supported the truce and a peace dialog, but warned that a silence of arms might aid terrorist groups operating in Syria.
"We should not allow terrorists to use the cessation of hostilities for further terror operations," Zarif said.
“Unfortunately there seems to be a persistence by some that they want to pursue a military solution, that illusion has to come to an end and they should look for a political solution," he added.
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