The UN special envoy for Syria called Monday for talks between Russia and the United States to help end the more than nine-year-old war, saying the two major powers could play "a key role."
Geir Pedersen's encouragement to Moscow and Washington to take a leading role was his first public appeal to the rival powers on opposing sides of the conflict - Russia which has been the key backer of Syrian President Bashar Assad and the United States which supports the opposition.
Pedersen told the U.N. Security Council on Monday that the three countries that have taken the lead in arranging cease-fires in Syria - Assad allies Russia and Iran and opposition backer Turkey "are key players too."