Syria talks see no breakthrough but will continue

UN-Arab League envoy for Syria Lakhdar Brahimi addresses a news conference at the United Nations European headquarters in Geneva January 28, 2014. [Photo/Agencies]

GENEVA -- The joint sessions between delegations of Syrian government and the opposition have not "achieved any breakthrough" up to now, said the United Nations-Arab League Special Envoy to Syria Lakhdar Brahimi Tuesday.

But it was good enough for all parties are still at it and the session will continue on Wednesday morning, he said.

Brahimi confirmed at a press conference in the late afternoon of the fourth day of face-to-fact talks between the warring parties that the two sides only held discussions with the mediation of him in the morning, not in the afternoon.

"I have suggested them and they have agreed that we do not meet this afternoon and that we all prepare ourselves for what I hope will be a better session tomorrow morning," said the special envoy.

He added that no one party was to blame for the adjournment and it was his decision to cancel the meeting without any request or pressure from any of the two sides.

Brahimi noted that the negotiations were not easy for the past days, for today and probably even for the coming few days, but said he was glad that two sides "intend to stay and continue this discussions until Friday as originally planned."

As for the discussions for this morning when the two sides were supposed to talk about the Geneva Communique, the document adopted after the first international conference on Syria held here in 2012, the mediator said that the opposition has presented their visions on how to implement the communique, but the government side did not.

Brahimi declined to reveal details of the opposition's positions.

Regarding the humanitarian convoys to the besieged area of Homs, Brahimi said that convoys were ready and waiting to enter, but the authorization has not been given, and they haven't given up on that.

When asked about the alleged assistance of the United States to Syrian armed groups by providing weapons, Brahimi said that they heard the news, but it was not an official statement of the U.S. government.

As for Iran, he said that the presence of this country "would have been good."

"I believe we will try to speak and cooperate with Iran in the future in order for it to undertake its role and assume its responsibility as an important state of the region," said Brahimi.

Earlier on Tuesday, the representatives both of Syria government and the opposition claimed no consensus was reached during the morning talks.

Syria Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Makdad said that their proposals to stop violence, the basis of Geneva Communique as they explained, were rejected.

Makdad said that the government was waiting for assurance that those humanitarian convoys were not going to fall into the hands of armed groups and terrorist groups inside the city of Homs.

Louay al-Safi, the opposition's spokesman said they refused the passage of women and children out of the besieged old city of Homs since the male people inside did not think the government will provide security for their families and children.

Al-Safi said the Syrian government was trying to divert from the main Geneva Communique and to establish a new framework that they were objected to.