The United Nations-sponsored peace talks on ending the civil war in Syria will resume next week in Vienna, the UN stated on Wednesday. The organization's envoy to Syria, Staffan de Mistura (pictured) "expects that delegations will be coming to Vienna prepared for substantive engagement with him," the statement said, adding that "any political initiative by international actors should be assessed by its ability to contribute to and support the United Nations-facilitated Geneva political process and the full implementation of resolution 2254."
At the same time, Russia is preparing to host a conference in Black Sea resort of Sochi, aimed at ending the bloody conflict that has been raging for six years. The peace congress, agreed back in December in Astana, will take place on January 29-30, with Russia, Iran and Turkey as the main sponsors. The conference in Sochi is a result of the Astana peace process, an effort to end the Syrian war that has run parallel with the negotiations taking place in Geneva.
