UN envoy: Syria talks in Switzerland ‘no longer possible’

By EDITH M. LEDERER
Associated Press

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.N. special envoy for Syria has expressed regret that talks between the government and opposition scheduled to start on July 25 in Geneva “are no longer possible,” reportedly because President Bashir Assad’s government contends that Switzerland is not neutral because of its support for European Union sanctions against its ally Russia. U.N. deputy spokesman Farhan Haq didn’t directly confirm the reason but said Monday that “we do reaffirm the neutrality of Switzerland as a venue for much of the work that the United Nations does.” Geneva is the major European headquarters for the 193-member United Nations.