Security Council consulting on Russian-Turkish plan

UNITED NATIONS, United States: The UN Security Council began closed-door consultations Saturday, with a vote possible soon, on a resolution supporting a Russian-Turkish initiative over a ceasefire and new negotiations on Syria.

The truce, largely intact in its second day, excludes jihadist groups the Islamic State (IS) and former Al-Qaeda affiliate Fateh al-Sham Front, previously known as Al-Nusra Front.

It aims to pave the way for peace negotiations late next month in Kazakhstan under the aegis of Russia and Iran, key supporters of the Syrian government, and of Turkey, which backs rebel groups.

Moscow has voiced hope for a positive Security Council vote Saturday on the draft resolution, which endorses the planned talks in Kazakhstan.

But several council members have demanded clarifications on how the ceasefire will be monitored, what role the UN will play, and what humanitarian access it will provide.

Turkey and Russia, which brokered the truce, have said the talks in the Kazakh capital Astana aim to supplement UN-backed peace efforts, not replace them.

Russia has already amended its draft text, but several members remain skeptical, saying the proposal needed to be "seriously studied," and may abstain.

Passage of a resolution requires the support of nine of the 15 members -- and no veto from the permanent members (the United States, Russia, France, Britain and China).

"This could take time," Gerard van Bohemen, New Zealand´s ambassador to the UN, told journalists.

"We need some more clarity about what the agreement provides, and we want to know how it relates to the UN process."

The UN itself convened peace talks last February in Geneva between Syrian government and opposition representatives.

The second draft of the Russian text, a copy of which was seen by AFP, endorses documents developed Thursday with Russian and Turkish mediation and says it is "important" for those documents to be fully and immediately implemented with support of all parties.

It adds language saying that the talks in Astana, Kazakhstan are "an important part" of the political process led by the Syrians and facilitated by the UN. The text refers briefly to the need for rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian access to the area.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a British-based monitor of the war, said that most of the country remained calm on Saturday.

Washington is conspicuously absent from the new process, but Moscow has said it hoped to bring US President-elect Donald Trump´s administration on board once he takes office in January.