Pedersen is trying to create positive understandings that will reflect on the political process in Syria

The United Nations Special Envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, discussed with the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister, Sergey Vershinin the viewpoints of advancing the political process of settlement in Syria, in cooperation with the United Nations, in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution No 2254, via a phone call.

Abdul Majid Barakat, the coalition’s secretary, told Fresh Online: “Pedersen is trying, through his regional and international communications, to create a state of positive understandings that could reflect on the political process positively by relying on a new term that he talked about a lot, which is (step for step)”.

Barakat added, “Pedersen thinks that through the term step for step, he will obtain an international and regional consensus that will be reflected in a way or another on the political process in Syria.”

Barakat added: “We in the coalition talked a lot about the political process, with Pedersen, with the United Nations and international parties affecting the Syrian file, on the importance of any international step towards implementing the political process consistent with international resolution 2254, and under the umbrella of the United Nations.”

Al-Barakat stressed: “There should not be new spaces for political understandings outside the international cover that affect, in one way or another, the Syrian political process.”

The Assistant Secretary-General of the Arab League had discussed with Pedersen earlier Thursday in Geneva the Syrian file and an assessment of the Syrian crisis and its possible development paths.

UN Resolution 2254, which was unanimously approved by the Security Council in December 2015, stipulates the start of peace talks in Syria, calls for the formation of a transitional government, the holding of elections under the auspices of the United Nations, and an immediate halt to attacks against civilians, and stresses that the Syrian people are the ones who decide the future of the country.