Kerry: Saudi-hosted Syria opposition talks ‘constructive’

Talks in Saudi Arabia between various Syrian opposition factions have been “very constructive,” but it’s too soon to lock in a new international diplomatic meeting to begin a UN-led political process aimed at ending Syria’s civil war, US Secretary of State John Kerry Says.

Speaking at a climate conference outside Paris, Kerry says he had talked to Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir about the opposition gathering in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, with the aim of organizing the next Syria meeting, tentatively set for December 18 at the United Nations.

“The meeting in Saudi Arabia appears to be very constructive at this point and we need to wait for the results of that conference,” Kerry says. “I think everybody is moving in the direction that they want to rapidly get to a political process and get it under way under UN auspices. So we made progress but we have some tough issues to get over.”

— AP