U.N.-Arab League mediator Lakhdar Brahimi tried to put a positive spin Friday on the first face-to-face meetings in three years between Syria's warring sides, suggesting they reconvene Feb. 10 for a fresh attempt at bridging the chasm between them.
Both sides have agreed to meet again, Brahimi told reporters at the end of the eighth consecutive day of intense and bitter negotiations in Switzerland that have produced no tangible results. The veteran diplomat still described 10 areas of "common ground" that might provide room for a little bit of optimism about breaking through the deadly impasse.
"Progress is very slow indeed, but the sides have engaged in an acceptable manner. This is a modest beginning on which we can build," Brahimi told reporters at the U.N.'s Palais des Nations.
"The gaps between the sides remain wide; there is no use pretending otherwise. Nevertheless, during our discussions, I observed a little bit of common ground - perhaps more than the two sides realize or recognize," he said. "Things have gone so far down that they are not going to get out of the ditch overnight."
http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/syrian-negotiators-meet-wrap-weeklong-talks-22309533