France: Syria talks must convene quickly under UN

PARIS: France said on Thursday Syrian peace talks should resume as quickly as possible under the auspices of the UN and appeared to question plans for Russian-backed discussions on the subject in Kazakhstan. 
The UN had previously led talks in Geneva, but after several fruitless rounds and an escalation of violence in the six-year civil war that has benefited Syrian President Bashar Assad and his backers, Moscow and Ankara agreed in December to launch new peace efforts.
“Negotiations have to resume as quickly as possible,” President Francois Hollande told the foreign diplomatic corps in a New Year address. “They have to be led under the auspices of the UN within the framework agreed in Geneva in 2012.”
Moscow has said the proposed Astana talks would complement the UN. However, European diplomats and opposition sources have suggested only some armed groups will be invited with political opposition representation limited despite discussions on aspects such as the constitution.
Hollande, a key backer of the Syrian opposition, said there was no need to go over the framework for talks.
“The parameters have been set so what needs to be done is to invite the concerned parties, all the parties, except fundamentalist and extremist groups, and to act in the Geneva framework,” Hollande said.
UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura has said he wants to convene a new round of talks during February.
Meanwhile, Hollande sought to play down the prospects of Middle East peace talks in Paris, saying only direct negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians could resolve the long-standing conflict.
Hollande, giving his last speech to the foreign diplomatic corps before stepping down in May, said the objective was to reaffirm the support of the international community for a two-state solution and ensure that it remained a reference.
“I can see that this has been weakened on the ground and in the minds. If we let it whither away then it would be a risk for Israeli’s security to which we are resolutely attached.
“However, I am realistic on what this conference can achieve. Peace will only be done by the Israelis and Palestinians and by nobody else. Only bilateral negotiations can succeed.”
Netanyahu said in public remarks on Thursday: “It’s a rigged conference, rigged by the Palestinians with French auspices to adopt additional anti-Israel stances. This pushes peace backwards. It’s not going to obligate us. It’s a relic of the past, it’s a last gasp of the past before the future sets in.”