Syria talks inch forward, hurdles remain

After almost a week of meetings, diplomats and negotiators representing Syrian regime and opposition factions in the UN-mediated talks appear to have made modest achievements. The latest round of Syria talks in Geneva was centred on setting agenda for future talks, which could bolster opposition demands for a political transition in which Syrian President Bashar Assad would have to cede power.
A political process on the basis of clear future agenda will be an important step forward to find a solution for Syria crisis. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov said the parties have agreed to discuss all issues in a parallel way, on several tracks. The latest talks dubbed as Geneva IV, which seek to capitalize on a cease-fire agreement brokered by Russia and Turkey after the evacuation of eastern Aleppo, seem to be fruitful as it discussed the basic principles for the political
solution in Syria.
There is an urgent need to prop the current ceasefire to save innocent civilians from enduring another Aleppo like catastrophe. A UN panel said the evacuation of eastern Aleppo, after months of siege and aerial bombing by Russian and Syrian forces, was one of many war crimes committed by those fighting for control of the city.
A massive bombing campaign by Syria and its key backer Russia pummeled eastern Aleppo. Aleppo, which was the economic capital of Syria before becoming a major battleground after rebels swept in during the summer of 2012, witnessed indiscriminate bombing of civilian areas, and the use of chemical agents and cluster munitions. The scale of what happened in Aleppo is unprecedented in the Syrian conflict. The deliberate targeting of civilians has resulted in the immense loss of human life, including hundreds of children. The Russian and Syrian blitzkrieg on eastern Aleppo, coupled with the denial of humanitarian aid, drove rebels in the city to finally surrender. The agreement to evacuate rebel-held eastern Aleppo gave civilians no option to remain at the end of the protracted campaign. It was a huge victory for Assad and shifted the military balance in his favour.
The report also said Syria’s air force used chemical weapons in residential areas. But Russia and China vetoed a UN Security Council resolution for punitive measures against individuals responsible.
To find durable solution, what is sorely needed is that Moscow must change its approach in Syria. Russia is needed to play a neutral role. Putin seized the initiative in Syria after the collapse of peace attempts with the US at the fag end Obama’s presidency. Moscow brokered a truce together with Turkey and involved Iran in monitoring the truce. But Russia is struggling to salvage its bid to secure a deal to end Syria war as differences deepen with Iran. Amid growing violations of truce, opposition is demanding Russia press Assad and his other chief ally, Iran, to observe a ceasefire and discuss steps for a political transition.
The challenge for Russia is that Iran never wants any solution in Syria. The way Iranians act on the ground shows that they want this war to continue. Russia is in a fix. Moscow is finding it difficult to strike a delicate balance between its traditional partners, Assad and Iran, and its potential partners in the fight against IS -Turkey and the US. At the same time Russia wants to disentangle itself from Syria crisis. So Kremlin must put pressure on the regime to start the negotiations.