Brussels, 30/10/2015 (Agence Europe) - High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini has announced that after eight hours of difficult discussions in Vienna, the 17 national delegations (China, Egypt, France, Germany, Italy, Iraq, Iran, Jordan, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States of America), the EU and the United Nations succeeded in reaching sufficient agreement on Friday 30 October to engage in a UN-led political process.
“8 hours of substantial Syria talks in Vienna. Difficult but constructive: we have enough common ground to start UN-led political process”, Mogherini tweeted. She told press that the meeting had not been easy, but that the atmosphere had been “very constructive”. “I believe that we have some common ground on which we can build in the future. So, there is hope for a political process to start under the UN auspices and with all of us coming together again”, she added. A few minutes earlier, Italy's Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni announced that after “eight hours of confrontation” there was “finally a step forwards”.
While Iraq's Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Jafari announced that the next meeting would take place next week, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said it would take place in “two weeks”. “The main point of disagreement was the fate of Bashar al-Assad”, Fabius said. “There are a number of points on which we all agreed - especially on the transition process, on the outlook for elections and the way all this should be organised, and on the role of the UN”, he added.
At the time of EUROPE going to press, the joint press release had still not been published.
Elsewhere, a US leader announced on Friday 30 October that the US would send a small number of special US forces to northern Syria. They will be tasked with an advisory mission to the moderate rebels. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)