US to participate in Geneva talks on Syria next month

WASHINGTON, Aug 28 (KUNA) -- The US affirmed Tuesday that the Geneva peace process for Syria has been a "real priority" for the US and that it will be participating in the Geneva talks on September 14.
State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert told reporters "that is something that's been a real priority of ours and priority of our special representative Jim Jeffrey as well to reinvigorate the Geneva process." She added, "We have accepted an invitation" by UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, saying "we will be participating in talks in Geneva on September 14." She indicated that "Ambassador Jeffrey will be there and looks forward to representing the United States along with our deputy assistant secretary Joel Rayburn.
She reiterated, "I want to make it clear that we fully support the Geneva process. We fully support the efforts on the part of Staffan de Mistura to broker a political settlement." She stressed, "We recognize that a military solution is not going to resolve the problem long-term in Syria. That it has to be a political solution." "We think we're at a good spot right now in getting back to the Geneva process," she remarked.
Meanwhile, Nauert said that the US has taken a "very strong stance" in the past when chemical weapons have been used in Syria.
"We have engaged the Russian government and also the military at the most senior level," and that it was made "very clear that the United States government and its partners would respond to any verified chemical weapons using Idlib or elsewhere in Syria for that matter in a swift and appropriate manner.
"So we would encourage Russia to make this point very clear to Damascus that that will not be tolerated," she added. (end) si.gb