Syria peace talks conclude with small progress: Brahimi

Geneva, Jan 31: The

concluded on Friday with "small progress", UN-Arab League Special Envoy to Syria Lakhdar Brahimi said.

Brahimi said this round's meeting was a "modest beginning", and the next round of talks will resume Feb 10, which was agreed upon by the opposition delegates, while those on the Syrian government side said they needed to consult with Damascus.

The UN-backed international conference, Geneva II, aiming to end a three-year-long conflict in Syria, called representatives from both the Syrian government and the opposition for the first time.

After discussing humanitarian issues on the ground, particularly in the city of Homs, representatives of the two sides held discussions within the framework of the Geneva communique which was adopted after Geneva I, the first international conference on the Syrian crisis held here in 2012.

The order of discussed issues was a sticking point during the seven-day joint meetings with the help of Brahimi, with the government side insisting that stopping terrorism be the top priority, while the opposition focused on the establishment of a transitional governing body.

IANS