Syria talks produce election roadmap after Paris attacks

Sergei Lavrov, John Kerry and foreign ministers of other countries attend a meeting in Vienna.

The United States, Russia and powers from the Middle East and Europe outlined a plan on Saturday for a political process in Syria leading to elections within two years, but differences over the fate of President Bashar Al Assad remained.
A day after gunmen and suicide bombers went on a rampage through Paris foreign ministers and senior officials from more than a dozen countries agreed to seek a ceasefire, but US Secretary of State John Kerry said it would not apply to Daesh.
French President Francois Hollande pledged a "merciless response" to the attacks, which he said had been organised by Daesh. France is part of the US-led coalition carrying out air strikes against Daesh in Syria and Iraq.
Speaking in French after Saturday's talks, which began with a minute's silence for the victims in Paris, Kerry told a joint news conference with his Russian counterpart that the attacks only strengthened his country's resolve to fight terrorism.
"The impact of the war bleeds into all of our nations," Kerry said. "It is time for the bleeding in Syria to stop."
The Paris attacks shifted the focus of negotiations in Vienna from the detail of which organisations would count as opposition groups rather than terrorist ones, and could therefore take part in a political solution in Syria, to defeating Daesh militarily.
Russia and the United States also seemed to turn a blind eye to their long-standing disagreement over Assad's fate. The West and its allies say he must leave office, while his allies Moscow and Tehran support elections in which he could stand.
"We still differ, obviously, on the issue of what happens with Bashar Al Assad," Kerry said. "But we are relying on the political process itself, led by Syrians, which it will be going forward, and the Syrians negotiating with Syrians; that that can help bring a close to this terrible chapter."
In a joint statement, the countries involved in the talks - including Saudi Arabia, Iran, Turkey and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council - laid out a plan including formal talks between the government and opposition by January 1.
The statement did not make clear how those groups would be chosen. An agreement on lists of political organisations and terrorist groups has consistently eluded negotiators.
The participants in the talks also pledged to "take all possible steps" to ensure they and the groups they support adhere to a ceasefire in Syria, where 250,000 people have been killed in the civil war.
"(The countries) affirmed their support for a ceasefire ... and for a Syrian-led process that will, within a target of six months, establish credible, inclusive and non-sectarian governance, and set a schedule and process for drafting a new constitution," the statement said.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said most but not all countries at the talks were in favour of an immediate truce.
"The participants expect to meet in approximately one month in order to review progress towards implementation of a ceasefire and the beginning of the political process," the joint statement said.
It also provided for elections based on a new constitution and supervised by the UN "within 18 months", without specifying exactly when from.

• MENA