MANAMA // An initial round of negotiations over ending the war in Syria – the first to include all foreign powers involved in the conflict – failed to reach agreement on the key issues of the time frame for Bashar Al Assad’s departure and the exit of foreign forces supporting Damascus, Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister has said.
“Until that is achieved the Syrian crisis will continue,” Adel Al Jubeir said on Saturday at a regional security conference in Manama.
The two days of talks in Vienna that ended on Friday were described by US secretary of state John Kerry as the “beginning of a new diplomatic process, not the final chapter”, according to US deputy secretary of state Antony Blinken.
“There is a renewed sense that there is a diplomatic way forward,” he said in Manama, adding, however, that this “doesn’t mean it’s going to happen in a space of one or two or three meetings”.
Mr Blinken also announced nearly US$100 million (Dh367.3m) in new US aid for the Syrian opposition.
The talks were spurred by Russia’s direct military entry into the conflict last month, and marked the first time that Iran had been invited to the table. Iran’s involvement in the talks has been described by diplomats as a sign of the seriousness of the diplomatic efforts given Tehran’s deep involvement in the conflict and backing for the Syrian president.
The negotiations were led by the United States, and also attended by the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Russia, France, Turkey and Britain. The sides agreed on a number of points that could form part of a framework deal for an eventual political transition. These included Syria’s territorial integrity, the writing of a new constitution that guarantees the rights of minorities, and presidential elections, Mr Al Jubeir said.
He added that Iran expressed commitment to a mechanism that would allow better access for humanitarian aid to reach civilians in the country’s conflict zones.
The regional countries backing Syrian rebels have demanded that Mr Al Assad depart at the beginning of a political transition and devolve his authority to a transitional body made up of representatives from all of the country’s groups. This would take four to six months, Mr Al Jubeir said. Western countries also maintain that the Syrian president must go, but are more flexible about when that would happen. Russia and Iran say they are not tied to Mr Al Assad, but that he can only go after extremists in Syria are defeated. It is not clear whether any progress was made in Vienna towards closing this gap. Officials familiar with the two sides’ positions in Vienna said the Russians support a plan that would see Mr Al Assad leave after 18 months.
Mr Al Jubeir responded to a question between the disparity in time frames by saying that “18-24 months has nothing to do with the departure of Assad”. He said that this longer time frame had only been discussed in relation to the drafting of a constitution and election laws, and the resettlement of displaced Syrians.
British foreign minister Philip Hammond implied on Saturday in Manama that the Iranian and Russian positions were even further from those of Western and Arab countries than Mr Al Jubeir had suggested. He said they maintain that Mr Al Assad should be allowed a role in the democratic process.
“There is still a huge gap,” he added.
However, he did not specify if Tehran and Moscow share the same position on Mr Al Assad’s departure, or if there are differences.
Another round of talks in Vienna will be held within two weeks, and Mr Al Jubeir said he expected the next talks to be “much more focused”.
Russia’s intervention to reinforce Mr Al Assad’s faltering military against rebels backed by Arab countries and the West appeared to many to have upended any remnants of a US strategy to push Mr Al Assad to the negotiating table.
But Mr Blinken said Russia had made a strategic mistake that would eventually work in the Syrian opposition’s favour.
“It will increase the conflict’s leverage over Russia and that in turn creates an internal incentive for Russia to work for, not against, a political transition,” he said.
“Russian cannot afford to sustain its military onslaught ... Costs will mount every day in economic, political and security terms.”
tkhan@thenational.ae
* With additional reporting by Associated Press
The Rub of Time: Bellow, Nabokov, Hitchens, Travolta, Trump and Other Pieces 1986-2016
Martin Amis,
Jonathan Cape
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4/5 stars
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Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
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UAE SQUAD
Ahmed Raza (Captain), Rohan Mustafa, Jonathan Figy, CP Rizwan, Junaid Siddique, Mohammad Usman, Basil Hameed, Zawar Farid, Vriitya Aravind (WK), Waheed Ahmed, Karthik Meiyappan, Zahoor Khan, Darius D'Silva, Chirag Suri
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Notable salonnières of the Middle East through history
Al Khasan (Okaz, Saudi Arabia)
Tamadir bint Amr Al Harith, known simply as Al Khasan, was a poet from Najd famed for elegies, earning great renown for the eulogy of her brothers Mu’awiyah and Sakhr, both killed in tribal wars. Although not a salonnière, this prestigious 7th century poet fostered a culture of literary criticism and could be found standing in the souq of Okaz and reciting her poetry, publicly pronouncing her views and inviting others to join in the debate on scholarship. She later converted to Islam.
Maryana Marrash (Aleppo)
A poet and writer, Marrash helped revive the tradition of the salon and was an active part of the Nadha movement, or Arab Renaissance. Born to an established family in Aleppo in Ottoman Syria in 1848, Marrash was educated at missionary schools in Aleppo and Beirut at a time when many women did not receive an education. After touring Europe, she began to host salons where writers played chess and cards, competed in the art of poetry, and discussed literature and politics. An accomplished singer and canon player, music and dancing were a part of these evenings.
Princess Nazil Fadil (Cairo)
Princess Nazil Fadil gathered religious, literary and political elite together at her Cairo palace, although she stopped short of inviting women. The princess, a niece of Khedive Ismail, believed that Egypt’s situation could only be solved through education and she donated her own property to help fund the first modern Egyptian University in Cairo.
Mayy Ziyadah (Cairo)
Ziyadah was the first to entertain both men and women at her Cairo salon, founded in 1913. The writer, poet, public speaker and critic, her writing explored language, religious identity, language, nationalism and hierarchy. Born in Nazareth, Palestine, to a Lebanese father and Palestinian mother, her salon was open to different social classes and earned comparisons with souq of where Al Khansa herself once recited.
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Essentials
The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly direct from the UAE to Geneva from Dh2,845 return, including taxes. The flight takes 6 hours.
The package
Clinique La Prairie offers a variety of programmes. A six-night Master Detox costs from 14,900 Swiss francs (Dh57,655), including all food, accommodation and a set schedule of medical consultations and spa treatments.
PAKISTAN SQUAD
Pakistan - Sarfraz Ahmed (captain), Azhar Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam, Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Hafeez, Haris Sohail, Faheem Ashraf, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Amir, Hasan Ali, Aamer Yamin, Rumman Raees.
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League quarter-final, second leg (first-leg score)
Porto (0) v Liverpool (2), Wednesday, 11pm UAE
Match is on BeIN Sports
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How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Zidane's managerial achievements
La Liga: 2016/17
Spanish Super Cup: 2017
Uefa Champions League: 2015/16, 2016/17, 2017/18
Uefa Super Cup: 2016, 2017
Fifa Club World Cup: 2016, 2017