Jun 27, 2017

The UN envoy for Syria said Tuesday he hoped that talks set to begin next week in Astana would help create favorable conditions for the next round of talks scheduled in Geneva, despite rising tensions.

Staffan de Mistura's remarks came a day after the United States announced the regime of Bashar al-Assad was preparing a fresh chemical attack, warning that Damascus would pay a "heavy price" for such an assault.

"The ideal trajectory over the coming two weeks could be... progress in Astana on 4-5 July, then a further set of joint technical aspects meetings with the oppositio

n group in the same week, and then a continued discussion and dialogue hopefully among main international stakeholders including at the G20 summit in Hamburg on 7-8 July," said De Mistura.

"I hope the combination of these elements would help shape an environment conducive for the next round of Inter-Syrian talks in Geneva" in July, he added.