MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The next round of intra-Syrian talks in Geneva will be held on May 16, a statement released by de Mistura said on Monday.
"Special Envoy Staffan de Mistura will reconvene the intra-Syrian talks under the auspices of the United Nations in Geneva on 16 May 2017. In this round and subsequent ones, he is looking forward to intensified work with invitees on the items on agenda of the talks, within the context of the overall framework of relevant Security Council resolutions, in particular resolution 2254 (2015)," the statement said.
De Mistura hopes that the agreement on creation of four safe zones in Syria, reached last week during the Astana talks on Syrian reconciliation, will be fully implemented, "thus bringing about a significant de-escalation in violence, and helping shape an environment conducive to the political intra-Syrian talks in Geneva," the statement added.
According to the statement, de Mistura is scheduled to brief the UN Security Council later in May.