Brahimi holds constructive talks with Russia and U.S. diplomats on crisis in Syria

 GENEVA,(ST)- International mediator Lakhdar Brahimi said after talks in Geneva with senior Russian and U.S.  officials on Sunday that they had agreed it was still possible to find a political solution to the crisis in Syria.

“The meeting was constructive and held in a spirit of cooperation. It explored avenues to move forward a peaceful process and mobilize greater international action in favor of a political solution to the crisis in Syrian,” Brahimi said in a statement issued after all-day closed-door talks in Geneva, according to Reuters.

Brahimi, United Nations special representative, met with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov and U.S. Undersecretary of State William Burns at an undisclosed location in the Swiss city. It followed his talks this week with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

“All three parties stressed that a political process to end the crisis in Syria was necessary and still possible,” Brahimi said.

They agreed a political solution would be based on core elements of the final statement issued by major and regional powers after their Geneva meeting last June 30 under the chairmanship of former mediator Kofi Annan, he said.

Brahimi said the Russian and U.S. officials agreed to meet again with him “in the near future”.

M.D