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Syrian Peace Talks in Geneva Pushed Back

by VOA News

   Russia's foreign minister says Syrian peace talks slated for February 8
   have been pushed back to late February.

   Sergei Lavrov announced the delay Friday in a meeting in Moscow with
   several Syrian rebel groups.

   Lavrov did not say why the U.N.-mediated talks in Geneva have been
   postponed.

   Earlier this week, Turkey and Russia, along with Iran, brought
   delegates from the Syrian government and rebel groups to Kazakhstan for
   a round of peace talks that ended with the three nations agreeing to
   help monitor a partial cease-fire and work toward a political
   resolution to the Syrian conflict.

   Turkey's foreign ministry spokesman Huseyin Muftuoglu said Thursday his
   country will not allow certain fighters to spoil the cease-fire, which
   went into effect in late December.

   He also reiterated Turkey's position that Syrian President Bashar
   al-Assad has no place in Syria's future. Turkey has backed the rebels
   throughout the conflict that began in 2011 as peaceful protests before
   spiraling into a civil war.

   Assad's fate has been a point of disagreement during multiple
   international efforts to achieve peace in Syria. The U.N. has created a
   framework that calls for a new constitution and new elections. Assad's
   allies, which include Russia and Iran, have said he should stay in
   power.