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                   Long-Sought Syrian Peace Talks Set to Open

   Delegations from more than 30 countries, the United Nations and the
   opposing sides in Syria`s nearly three-year civil war are gathering
   Wednesday in Switzerland for the first stage of long-awaited peace
   talks.
   The stated goal of the conference is for the Syrian government and
   rebels trying to oust President Bashar al-Assad to agree on a
   transitional authority. Syria has long insisted Mr. Assad will not step
   down, and that divide has cast doubt on the prospect of a major
   breakthrough at the negotiations.
   But Syria`s information minister said Tuesday the government is
   optimistic, and eight months after the first effort to convene the
   talks, British Foreign Secretary William Hague stressed the need to
   seize the opportunity.
   "Now this opportunity must not be wasted. This is the opportunity for
   Syrian leaders on all sides to bring an end to this bloodshed, to save
   their country, and to put an end to such extraordinary misery, to the
   worst humanitarian catastrophe of the 21st century, so far."
   The meeting Wednesday will give the delegations an opportunity to
   address the peace effort before the process shifts to talks Friday in
   Geneva between only the Syrian sides and U.N.-Arab League envoy Lakhdar
   Brahimi.
   Syria`s main regional ally, Iran, will not be there. U.N. Secretary
   General Ban Ki-moon canceled Iran`s invitation when it refused to
   accept the goal of a transitional government in Syria, which would
   likely would exclude Mr. Assad.
   The United States and Russia have led the effort to organize the talks
   on the basis of an agreement reached at a 2012 conference to find a
   peaceful solution to the Syrian crisis. The document contains a series
   of steps, including the negotiated transitional government, a ceasefire
   and a commitment to allow full humanitarian access.
   The Syrian conflict began in March 2011 as peaceful protests before
   spiraling into a civil war that has killed more than 100,000 people and
   forced nearly 9 million from their homes.
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   [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/longsought-syrian-peace-talks-set-to-
   open/1835035.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/longsought-syrian-peace-talks-set-to-open/1835035.html