Syria's government has confirmed that it will take part in peace talks in Geneva this week, the UN said Tuesday (November 28th), after an announcement that it may not show up had delivered a blow to the negotiations.
"The government delegation has not yet arrived but UN envoy Staffan de Mistura has received the message that they are planning to arrive tomorrow," UN spokeswoman Alessandra Vellucci told reporters.
The eighth round of talks is seen as a chance for the UN to revitalise its push to end the six-year war, which has killed more than 340,000 people and left Syria in ruin.
De Mistura has stressed the urgent need for progress towards a political solution and had been bolstered by the fractured opposition's decision to form a unified negotiation team for the first time.
