US Secretary of State John Kerry is hitting the road again this weekend for discussions about the war in Syria in France and Kuwait, just two weeks before peace talks are due to get underway. In his 22nd trip since becoming secretary of state, Kerry will also push his vision for a Middle East peace treaty, with plans to brief Arab League ministers on progress so far.
Less than a week after returning from Israel, the top US diplomat will leave again thsi week, heading first for Paris and a meeting of ministers from the “Friends of Syria” grouping, State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said.
During his stay in the French capital, Kerry will also have discussions with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Monday. The two ministers were the prime organizers of Syria peace talks, due to open on January 22 in the Swiss city of Montreux, before political teams then move to Geneva for further UN-led negotiations from January 24.
It is set to be the first time since the war erupted in March 2011 that the Syrian regime of President Bashar Al Assad sits down with the opposition to discuss an end to hostilities.
