Syria constitutional talks end without consensus on agenda - U.N. envoy

A second week-long round of Syrian talks has ended without a meeting of the group of 45 delegates meant to be negotiating on the constitution, United Nations Special Envoy Geir Pedersen said on Friday.

The Syrian government and opposition co-chairs were unable to agree on agenda for the constitutional talks, he told reporters. "We have been trying to reach consensus but as I said we are not there yet."

The talks are meant to be a step forward in what the U.N. says will be a long road to political rapprochement, followed by-elections. But experts question whether President Bashar al-Assad will be willing to cede much in any negotiations after his Russian- and Iranian-back forces recaptured large areas of the country in offensives against rebels and militants since 2015.