The United Nations Office at Geneva
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• Geir Pedersen, UN Special Envoy for Syria
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3:55
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MP4
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289.6 MB
Teleprompter
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I'm impressed to see all of you here so late.
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So we have just concluded the meeting of the large group.
We had, as you all remember, a very good opening session on Wednesday.
I think it was dignified, solemn and that we sort of rose to the historic occasion.
The last two days has also been very good.
We of course all know that after 8 1/2 years of conflict, there are deep differences, a lot of suspicion, a lack of trust.
But the fact that 150 Syrians have been sitting together, respecting each other, talking to each other, discussing according to the agenda that we agreed upon, the future of Syria, I think was quite impressive.
And not only did we agree on an agenda, we also managed to agree on via consensus of the code of conduct for the deliberations of the meetings and also for the future.
And I was when I I left, I said I was very impressed by the 150 members and by the work of the two cultures that managed to bring us all together.
And I emphasised again, of course that this is a Syrian process.
It's led by Syrian and is owned by the Syrians.
And it's all about meeting the aspirations of the Syrian people.
Before we adjourned the meeting today, we all saw the agreed upon the 45 that we'll be working in the so-called drafting body, the 45 members of that and they will then be meeting here on Monday.
So on Monday the work continues and then we may see each other later in the week.
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The National Media Network special Ingrid, do you talk detail about the constitution or there was only some some slogans between the groups in in constitutional community And what's about the the third group, the the NGOs that they decided about their 51st?
Listen, you know, very many of the 150 members spoke according to their own principles.
And I think it was a rather detailed discussion also about the expectations for future constitutional arrangements for Syria.
And on, on the 45, we have an agreement on all the 45.
Mr Peterson, have all the delegation already confirmed their participants in the small group?
Pardon, I, I couldn't hear all of the delegation.
Yes, all have confirmed their their participation in the small group.
Yes, indeed, indeed.
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President Bashar al-Assad said yesterday that his government is not a part of this negotiations and the delegation that came from Damascus is a pro government delegation and he said that there is no existence for Geneva.
And the reference is touching.
What's your comment?
I think I should read the speech before I comment on it.
But I'm very pleased, as I said, that we just finished, you know, a very successful meeting of the large body and that we are continuing working together and that the small body will be meeting on Monday.
What's timeline for the draught body?
We will discuss that during the weekend.
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Mr Patterson will speak to you again.
All the best next available.
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