Syria

A fourth session of the Syrian Constitutional Committee will begin on Monday in Geneva to hammer out the roots of the basic laws for a peaceful Syria.

Iran Press/Europe: "As the Deputy Special Envoy informed the Security Council, plans are being finalized for the fourth session of the Constitutional Committee's small body, which will convene from 30 November to 4 December," the Office of the UN Special Envoy for Syria said on Thursday.

The talks, to be facilitated by UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen, will continue until Friday next week, as the last round in Geneva ended on Aug. 29, Jennifer Fenton, spokesperson for the office, told Anadolu Agency.

UN Deputy Special Envoy for Syria Khawla Matar told the UN Security Council in New York the preceding day that a further session would be held in Geneva on Jan. 5 after next week's session.

He said that the talks in Geneva were made possible due to the agreement of the two Syrian co-chairs from both sides and the mandate of the Constitutional Committee's small Body.

Members of what is known as the "small group" responsible for the drafting of a new constitution for the war-torn country had met in August.

The group consists of 15 members from the regime, non-governmental organizations, and the Syrian opposition.

The members of the constitutional committee, which took almost two years of consultations to be formed, seek to reform the Arab country's constitution before it is put to the vote of the Syrian people.

Representatives of the Syrian government and opposition met in early November last year to discuss a future constitution, part of plans for a political settlement to end eight and a half years of war.

The crisis in Syria began in 2011 with a massive offensive by terrorist groups backed by Saudi Arabia, the United States, and their allies to shift the regional equation in favor of the Zionist regime.

211