Another round of Syrian peace talks has ended in Geneva. While the conflict is far from over, this round of talks has ended on a more positive note compared with other meetings over the past five years. One reason for the positive spin after the meeting is a 12-point “settlement principle” that the opposition and the Syrian government agreed on, at least in theory. Despite this small but encouraging achievement, a significant gulf remains between the two factions.
The three groups representing the opposition pushed forward with their concerns about the future of Syrian president Bashar Al Assad. After six years of war, opposition groups have no desire to see Mr Al Assad stay in a position of power after an end of hostilities. Connected to Mr Al Assad’s future are the issues of Syria’s territorial integrity, the preservation of state institutions and the simple but complex question of how the Syrian government will function in a post-Assad solution. Complicating these demands are the interests of Turkey, which has supported the opposition from the start of the conflict, along with Russia and Iran who have strongly supported Bashar Al Assad. Nothing about ending this conflict is easy or straightforward.
For its part, the Syrian government focused on the issue of antiterrorism. In their estimation, all rebel groups are terrorists who are trying to overthrow the country. Little discussion can move forward until the terrorist element is suppressed, according to the regime. As such, Bashar Al Assad is not willing to fully engage with the opposition’s demands until his perspective on the conflict is addressed.
These drastically different starting points form a serious gulf between the two sides moving forward. With additional talks planned for later this month along with a separate set of negotiations in Kazakhstan focused on military challenges, it is unclear how the two sides will move closer to an equitable solution to this conflict. But that shouldn’t overshadow the positive spirit emanating from Geneva this week.