UN confirms new push for Syria talks, Iran to be invited
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The United Nations said on Tuesday that its Syria envoy planned to consult Syrian factions and interested countries on a new round of peace talks, confirming a Reuters report.
UN spokesman Ahmad Fawzi said Staffan de Mistura was "heavily engaged" in discussions on the process, which would be based on the Geneva communique, the June 2012 document that set out a path to peace and political transition but left open the future role of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
UN-led peace talks collapsed a year ago, but Reuters reported on Monday that de Mistura was proposing to hold fresh consultations, having been instructed to revive the political track by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
