Transcript of press Conference of Deputy of UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura, Ramzy Ezzeldin Ramzy (Arabic and English)

Q: What [were] the results and the reflections, whether positive or negative, of the meetings with Minister Moallem or with the concerned officials of the Syrian Foreign Ministry who you have met, on Geneva on the 16th of this month?

DSE Ramzy: I have just concluded a two-hour meeting with Deputy Foreign Minister Fayssal Miqdad, which was a useful meeting coming within the framework of the ongoing consultations between the United Nations and the Syrian Government in Damascus, Geneva and New York.
The meeting dealt with developments related to the Syrian crisis and preparations for the upcoming intra-Syrian talks, scheduled to be held in Geneva next Tuesday.
As you know, the issue of de-escalation is very important for the UN. We have great hope that the Astana agreement will lead to de-escalation thereby establishing a suitable atmosphere for the Geneva talks.

The Geneva and Astana meetings are mutually reinforcing. Strengthening the ceasefire is essential for creating a suitable atmosphere for serious talks, and at the same time, the ceasefire cannot be sustained without a political horizon.

As you know, next Tuesday's meeting will be short and focused. There is an Arab proverb that says "short and useful” and this is what we want to achieve next time. We are looking forward to positive and constructive contribution by the Syrian government to ensure the success of this important, short and focused meeting”
Q: Short and focused on the level of results?

DSE Ramzy: We will see the results, and we have hope that there will be positive movement, which will be possible if all sides come with constructive positions, which I think is very possible. What I heard today from Deputy Foreign and Expatriates Minister Dr. Fayssal Miqdad, gives me hope that the Syrian [Government] position will be constructive during the next meeting.

Q: Have you agreed on who would take part in Geneva?

DSE Ramzy: There is nothing new regarding the invitees. There’s also an agreement on what will be discussed. As you know, the agenda is clear and unchanged. There are four baskets, which I am not going to mention again, to be discussed in parallel. We have already indicated to the sides that there’s a possibility to speed up discussions about one of these baskets while remaining committed to moving with them in parallel. Let us wait for Tuesday, we are still in consultations.

Q: Some parties in the opposition talked about direct meetings in Geneva, is this true? Is Geneva still effective in solving the Syrian crisis?

DSE Ramzy: The UN’s position favors moving towards direct dialogue as soon as possible, but this hasn’t been achieved yet.
The Geneva track is important because it reflects international legitimacy via UN resolutions that emphasize basic principles that I believe the Syrians, despite their different political positions, are all committed to. These principles being the unity and integrity of Syria’s territory, respecting its sovereignty, and the nature of future Syria. These I believe are very important matters. There is a movement towards accepting many issues, we will see in the next days.