WASHINGTON — With an 11-day-old partial truce having dramatically reduced if not ended violence in Syria, UN Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura said he planned to resume proximity talks between the Syrian government and the opposition on a political transition process starting March 14. The intra-Syrian talks, to be held at the UN Palais des Nations in Geneva, could last up to 10 days, he said.
“When we start having the talks on Monday, God willing, the focus will be on substance, on the agendas — in other words, on new governance, constitution and elections, the future elections in 18 months’ time, both presidential and parliamentarian,” de Mistura told journalists March 9 in Geneva.