UN envoy calls for more int'l diplomacy to unlock progress in Syria

UNITED NATIONS, April 28 (Xinhua) -- UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen on Wednesday called for more international diplomacy to unlock progress in Syria.

"If this highly internationalized conflict is to move toward resolution, we need a more constructive and comprehensive international diplomacy on Syria to try to unlock progress step-for-step," he told the Security Council in a briefing.

He said he has made this appeal to the Syrian parties and to key interlocutors in Russia, the United States, Turkey, Iran, the Arab world, Europe and others. "I appreciate that key international interlocutors are expressing interest in this idea. At the same time, it is clear that mistrust and a desire for others to move first are prominent elements in the minds of many."

"I understand this. But there are ways to overcome these concerns," he added.

A new means of international discussion or a new international format could bring all of those stakeholders who can put something on the table to the table. Exploratory consultations could help test possibilities and bridge the gaps of mistrust that hinder such an effort. Key players could identify, with realism and precision, the mutual and reciprocal steps they can take and what they would seek, in order to promote progress on Resolution 2254, which provides a roadmap for Syria. Well-defined packages without ambiguity, and parallel implementation and verification as relevant, could help, he said.

"There are no guarantees that common ground would be found. But I am convinced that it could be. There is enough at stake and enough common interest for us to try. We must begin to lay the groundwork for such an effort, conscious that it will require time and effort to come to fruition," he said. "With a relative, albeit fragile, calm on the ground, and many capitals understanding the need for a way forward, we need to explore what is possible. We should not lose further time in exploring this seriously."