GENEVA, Aug. 29 (Xinhua) -- The latest session of the United Nations-mediated Syrian constitutional talks concluded in Geneva on Saturday afternoon, without announcing the date for the next meeting as expected.
"We just concluded the session, after what I would call a challenging week," UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen said at a press conference, adding that he was "extremely pleased" that the talks were able to reconvene despite the challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
"It's been absolutely fascinating to listen to the discussions that we have been having. I mean, obviously, there are still very strong disagreements," he said.
The latest session of the Syrian Constitutional Committee Small Body, which aims at paving the way for a political solution to the decade-long conflict in the country, opened in Geneva on Monday morning. It then had to be suspended after four delegates tested positive for COVID-19.
The talks then resumed on Thursday afternoon, following additional testing and further medical and expert advice.
"I was extremely pleased to hear the two co-chairs saying very clearly that they thought also there were quite a few areas or commonalities," Pedersen said. "What I'm looking forward to is... that we will be able to build on those commonalities and bring the process further forward."
He told reporters that the tone during the talks was respectful, and "people were listening to each other."
"I also got a clear message, both from their co-chairs and from the members, that they are keen to meet again," he said.
The UN Envoy said he will work with the two co-chairs on finding an agreement on the agenda for the next session, and then set an exact date for the next talks, which is expected to be held also in Geneva.
The 150-member Syrian Constitutional Committee -- which comprises representatives of the Syrian government, the opposition, and civil society -- was officially launched in Geneva on Oct. 30, 2019.
The Committee and its Small Body held two rounds of sessions in November last year, without making any major progress. The Small Body includes 45 delegates, 15 each from the three groups. Enditem
