Syria peace talks resume

Syria's government and opposition met yesterday for a seventh round of UN-sponsored peace talks with little expectation of a breakthrough to end the six-year conflict.

The talks in Geneva open after a ceasefire took effect in three provinces in southern Syria on Sunday, with a monitor reporting that the region was mostly quiet despite scattered violations.

The ceasefire was brokered by the United States, Russia and Jordan, the latest agreement reached outside the Geneva framework.

The peace process in the Swiss city has been increasingly overshadowed by a separate track organised by regime allies Russia and Iran, and rebel backer Turkey.

In principle, the new round of Geneva negotiations will focus on four so-called "baskets": a new constitution, governance, elections and combating "terrorism".

As he arrived for the talks yesterday, UN Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura told reporters: "We will work very hard."

The last talks ended in May with little progress towards ending a war that has killed more than 320,000 people since it began in March 2011.

De Mistura said after that round that "important gaps remain... on major issues," and that time constraints had stymied progress.

Syria's opposition insists that President Bashar al-Assad must step down as part of any political solution to the war, but the government says Assad's fate is not up for discussion.

Still, both sides are expected to participate once again, with Yehya al-Aridi, a spokesman for the opposition High Negotiations Committee, telling AFP he had "modest expectations".

Meanwhile, Iran's foreign ministry spokesman said yesterday a partial ceasefire in southwestern Syria agreed between the United States and Russia should be expanded to all of Syria if it is to be successful.

The United States, Russia and Jordan announced a ceasefire and "de-escalation agreement" for the southwest on Friday and starting on Sunday after a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin at the G20 summit in Hamburg, reported Reuters.

"The agreement can be fruitful if it is expanded to all of Syria and includes all the area that we discussed in Astana talks for de-escalating the tension," spokesman Bahram Qasemi was quoted as saying by Tasnim news agency.

Syrian government forces launched an attack on rebels in a southern province despite the ceasefire, a monitor said, but state media said the assault was against the Islamic State group.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitor, said the assault in Sweida province began yesterday morning, almost 24 hours into an internationally brokered ceasefire.

"The regime started an attack on the area northeast of Sweida city, backed by air strikes," the monitor said, reporting clashes between government troops and rebels on the ground.