UN envoy: All Syria parties agree to talks on constitution
UNITED NATIONS -- For the first time, all parties to Syria's conflict -- including the divided opposition -- have agreed to take part in expert talks to help lay the foundation for a new constitution, the U.N. special envoy for the country said Monday.
Staffan de Mistura told the Security Council in a video briefing from Geneva he is also pleased that all parties were receptive to a seventh round of political talks, which he intends to hold sometime in June.
He said there was additional "good news" in reports of "a significant drop in violence, including in aerial bombardment, in most areas" since a high-level meeting this month in Astana, Kazakhstan, of the three guarantors of the December cease-fire -- Russia, Turkey and Iran.
