US looking to advance political talks on Syria at UN

The United States hopes to advance political talks on Syria in meetings at the United Nations next week and has told Russia it does not favor the Security Council issuing statement on Syria before the body meets, The JPost quoted a US State Department official as saying on Thursday.

Sheba Crocker, assistant secretary of state for international organization affairs, said Washington hoped to advance discussions on the political crisis as well as the ongoing military conflict in Syria in talks next week at the General Assembly.

She told reporters at a briefing that Washington had informed Moscow it did not support a Security Council statement on Syria before the council's ministerial meeting because it might be perceived as endorsing a course of action that would hinder efforts to reach a political settlement.

Source: MENA