UPDATE 1-Syrian talks to reconvene in Geneva on Nov. 25 - UN envoy
A U.N. envoy concluded an opening round of talks on the political future of Syria on Friday meant to bring political reconciliation after 8-1/2 years of war, saying they went better than expected and would reconvene later this month.
Acknowledging that discussions were sometimes "very painful" Geir Pedersen said the delegates to the Constitutional Committee from the government, opposition and civil society addressed them with professionalism. "I believe it has gone much better than most people would have expected," he told journalists in Geneva.
"The next round of discussions will start on November 25," Pedersen said. He said the discussions focused on issues of sovereignty, territorial integrity and terrorism, without going into details.
There was no immediate deal on the release of thousands of detainees in the country, one of the points that Pedersen had previously said was an important step needed to build confidence between the parties.
(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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