Geneva Intra-Syrian Talks Finally Enable Political Settlement - German FM

German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said that called the fresh round of Syrian settlement talks in Geneva "a chance to resolve the bloody civil war."

BERLIN (Sputnik) — The fresh round of Syrian settlement talks in Geneva has for the first time opened the way for a political resolution of the six-year conflict, German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said Thursday.

The fourth round of UN-backed intra-Syrian talks between the government and opposition factions began earlier in the day in Geneva. The discussions are expected to center around governance, constitutional issues and elections in Syria.

"A year on, there is now a chance to renew the Geneva talks between the Syrian regime and opposition to resolve the bloody civil war. An opportunity to stop the spiraling violence and find a way to achieve a real political process under UN auspices has appeared for the first time," Gabriel said, as quoted in a Foreign Ministry statement.

Syrian representatives have so far met with UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura. An official opening ceremony was held later.

The Geneva meeting comes after two rounds of ceasefire talks in Astana, where the sides held their first ever face-to-face meetings and hammered out plans to monitor the ongoing ceasefire in the country.