Latest Syria peace talks conclude without major breakthrough, next round to convene in September

Geneva: The UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura announced the conclusion of the latest round of the Syria peace talks, saying that the next round will convene in September. [caption id=“attachment_3762769” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. AP[/caption] “We have just concluded the seventh round of talks. We have made incremental progress, no breakthrough, no breakdowns, no one walked out,” the UN envoy told reporters during a press conference Friday night. He added that he felt those he had engaged with this week had “complete support for what we are trying to achieve here”, reports Xinhua news agency. Before speaking to the media, the UN envoy had engaged in a telephone interview with members of the UN Security Council in New York about progress in the seventh round of talks that started on 10 July in trying to untangle and bring to an end the protracted conflict in Syria. The latest round of ceasefire came after a ceasefire in southern Syria brokered last week by the US and Russia, which provides a relatively better atmosphere for negotiations.