by Our Foreign Desk

SYRIAN government delegation chief negotiator Bashar Ja’afari reported yesterday that discussions in Geneva with UN special envoy Staffan de Mistura had been “positive and constructive.”

Mr Ja’afari said that his delegation had “submitted ideas and views” for a political solution to the country’s continuing crisis.

Mr de Mistura, who is conducting “proximity talks” with both sides in Syria’s conflict, will meet opposition representatives today and the government team again tomorrow.

The Damascus chief negotiator said that his team wants “to negotiate as Syrians under Syrian leadership without foreign intervention and without preconditions.”

Mr Ja’afari added, in reference to the failure of last month’s talks, that any party opposing this premise is “trying to sabotage this round.”

Mr de Mistura had warned earlier yesterday that the talks marked a “moment of truth” and insisted that the “only Plan B available is a return to war.”

He acknowledged that differences remained between the two sides, even as he praised recent achievements on the ground in the war-weary country.

The special envoy suspended the talks only days after they started in February because of an upsurge in violence and he said yesterday that failure this time could revive or even worsen the conflict, which reaches its fifth anniversary today.

“The alternative — some people call it Plan B, as you know,” he said.

“Well, as far as I know, the only plan B available is a return to war and to even worse war than we had so far.”

In the so-called proximity talks, the two sides don’t meet face to face but meet separately with Mr de Mistura and his team.

He then shuttles between them in hopes of winning a breakthrough that could ultimately bring them to the table together.

“The real peace-makers here are the peace-making powers who wanted these talks — the ISSG (International Syria Support Group) and the security council members — and hopefully the Syrian sides,” said Mr de Mistura.

The envoy made clear that if there didn’t appear to be a willingness to negotiate during these and future talks, “we will bring the issue back to those who have influence.”