HAFR AL-BATIN: During his talks with Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman, US Secretary of State John Kerry made it “very very clear” that the regime of Bashar Assad cannot exploit the Syria cease-fire.
“I think we need to talk about Syria,” Kerry said, as he sat down with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Naif and senior officials after his reception with King Salman.
The level of violence by all accounts has been reduced by 80 to 90 percent, which is very, very significant, Kerry said. “And what we want to do is continue to work to reduce these.”
He said the Assad regime could not use this process as a way to exploit the situation, when others are trying in good faith to abide by it. “And there is a limit to the patience with respect to that,” he added.
Kerry said Washington believes that UN-sponsored peace talks should go ahead on Monday despite “perceived” truce violations by Syrian government forces, according to a US reporter accompanying Kerry.
Asked if the talks can go ahead as planned despite cease-fire violations, Kerry said: “Yes, they can.”
“Our teams are meeting today with Russia in both Geneva and Amman, where very detailed lay downs will take place regarding these allegations, and I am requesting a call with Foreign Minister Lavrov and we will work through these and we have been each day,” he added.
Syria's main opposition group said it would attend the peace talks in Geneva on Monday but accused the Assad regime of preparing to escalate the war to strengthen its negotiating position.
Kerry said a US meeting with the foreign ministers of the GCC members would take place at some point in the next few weeks in the region.
Both Kerry and Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir said that all present at the talks had agreed to push hard on the Syria talks, for a return to UN-sponsored peace talks to try to end the war in Yemen, and to develop plans to help Libya overcome its crisis.
“In Yemen, the US welcomes the reduction in violence on the Yemen-Saudi border and the increased delivery of humanitarian relief,” Kerry said. “We continue to support the efforts of the UN Special Envoy to bring all parties back to the table in pursuit of a peaceful political transition as soon as possible.”
“I think we need to talk about Syria,” Kerry said, as he sat down with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Naif and senior officials after his reception with King Salman.
The level of violence by all accounts has been reduced by 80 to 90 percent, which is very, very significant, Kerry said. “And what we want to do is continue to work to reduce these.”
He said the Assad regime could not use this process as a way to exploit the situation, when others are trying in good faith to abide by it. “And there is a limit to the patience with respect to that,” he added.
Kerry said Washington believes that UN-sponsored peace talks should go ahead on Monday despite “perceived” truce violations by Syrian government forces, according to a US reporter accompanying Kerry.
Asked if the talks can go ahead as planned despite cease-fire violations, Kerry said: “Yes, they can.”
“Our teams are meeting today with Russia in both Geneva and Amman, where very detailed lay downs will take place regarding these allegations, and I am requesting a call with Foreign Minister Lavrov and we will work through these and we have been each day,” he added.
Syria's main opposition group said it would attend the peace talks in Geneva on Monday but accused the Assad regime of preparing to escalate the war to strengthen its negotiating position.
Kerry said a US meeting with the foreign ministers of the GCC members would take place at some point in the next few weeks in the region.
Both Kerry and Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir said that all present at the talks had agreed to push hard on the Syria talks, for a return to UN-sponsored peace talks to try to end the war in Yemen, and to develop plans to help Libya overcome its crisis.
“In Yemen, the US welcomes the reduction in violence on the Yemen-Saudi border and the increased delivery of humanitarian relief,” Kerry said. “We continue to support the efforts of the UN Special Envoy to bring all parties back to the table in pursuit of a peaceful political transition as soon as possible.”
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