Summary Washington and Moscow promised Thursday to help unblock stagnant Syrian peace talks.
GENEVA (AFP) - Washington and Moscow promised Thursday to help unblock stagnant Syrian peace talks, as Western countries demanded that Damascus keep its promise to release males detained during the evacuation from Homs.
The United States and Russia have "promised that they will help both here and in their capitals and elsewhere to unblock the situation for us," UN mediator Lakhdar Brahimi told reporters in Geneva after meeting high-level diplomats from the two countries.
The meeting with Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov and US Under Secretary of State Wendy Sherman came after Syria's warring sides spent days in Geneva trading blame for the violence ravaging their country.
"The hard work of this diplomacy continues, and the United States will continue to support this work going forward," a US official said after Thursday's meeting.
The so-called Geneva II negotiations, which began on January 22, have so far done nothing to end the nearly three-year civil war that has claimed more than 136,000 lives and forced millions from their homes.
"Until now, we are not making much progress," Brahimi admitted, acknowledging that "failure is always staring at us in the face."
Syria's foes did not meet Thursday, and were expected to hold only separate meetings with Brahimi on Friday.
Washington, which backs the opposition, and Moscow, a key ally of Syria, initiated the talks, but remained on the sidelines during the first round in January, allowing Brahimi to run the show.
But the current round of talks, which started Monday and could stretch into Saturday, has achieved little beyond an endless restating of positions and there has been pressure on the two major powers to play a bigger part.
"The presence now of the United States and Russia comes at the right time," opposition chief negotiator Hadi Bahra told AFP, insisting the pair needed to "pressure the regime to be more serious."
Syria's deputy foreign minister, Faisal Muqdad, meanwhile told AFP "all the pressure should be put on the other side."
Gatilov met the regime delegation chief, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem, on Wednesday, and the opposition delegation was meeting Sherman Thursday evening.
It was unclear though if they could push the sides closer to actual dialogue.
Opposition delegation member Badr Jamous told AFP: "Things are not positive ... I don't think there will be a third round."
The opposition has presented a detailed plan for political change without President Bashar al-Assad.
The regime however insists Assad's future is not up for discussion and has refused to even touch on politics until the battle against what it calls rebel "terrorism" is resolved.
Jamous said his team had met with the Russian negotiators, who, he said, "still have the same tone which he have heard before."
"At the end we are clear. If we don't want to turn Syria into a new country and get rid of the head of this regime, then I think the solution will be military through our rebels fighting on ground."
