The UN’s spokesman Stephane Dujarric announced on Saturday that the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres will send his Special Envoy for Syria Staffan De Mistura to participate in the Syrian National Dialogue Congress due to be held on January 29-30 in the Russian city of Sochi.

“The Secretary-General is certain that Sochi Congress will basically contribute to revive the Syrian dialogue held under the sponsorship of the United Nations in Geneva,” Dujarric told France Press Agency (AFP).

Dujjaric explained that “after a report was submitted to the Secretary-General by De Mistura, and taking into consideration the Russian announcement that the results of the Syrian Congress in Sochi will be transmitted to Geneva as a contribution to the settlement process among the Syrians according to the UN Security Council resolution no.2254, Russia’s invitation has been accepted, and De Mistura was assigned to represent the organization in the conference.”

On a relevant note, the Russian Foreign Ministry welcomed Guterres’ decision to send de Mistura to attend the Congress.

De Mistura hopes Sochi Congress will contribute to achieving progress in Geneva talks

De Mistura expressed hope that constructive talks will be held among the Syrians during the Syrian National Dialogue Congress to be convened in the Russian city of Sochi, and that the talks will contribute to achieving progress on the level of the Syrian talks in Geneva to find a political solution to the crisis.

In a press conference on Friday night, de Mistura said that “any contributions to the intra-Syrian talks in conformity with Security Council’s resolution no. /2254/ will be taken into consideration.”

The UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will be briefed on the outcome of the discussions in Vienna, and he will be the one to take decision with regard to the invitation to attend Sochi Congress, de Mistura added.

Earlier on Friday, Head of the Syrian Arab Republic delegation to the Syrian dialogue in Vienna Dr. Bashar al-Jaafari stressed in a press conference at the conclusion of Vienna meeting that the outcomes of Sochi Congress will be the result of dialogue among the Syrian participants themselves in this congress and that the goal behind Sochi is a national intra-Syrian dialogue without foreign interference.

De Mistura indicated that Guterres had held a series of high-level intensive consultations in parallel with Vienna meetings.

He affirmed that the political solution is the only solution to the crisis in Syria through constructive dialogue among the Syrians that meets their aspirations and ensures respecting Syria’s sovereignty and its territorial integrity and independence.