BEIRUT, Lebanon — Appearing to address one of the core issues that have derailed peace talks in Syria, the United Nations special envoy for the country on Friday described President Bashar al-Assad as a crucial part of the solution to ending the war there, news agencies reported.
The envoy, Staffan de Mistura, met in Damascus, the Syrian capital, this week with Mr. Assad, who has resisted calls to step down during nearly four years of conflict. Mr. Assad has insisted that he remain in power in a postwar Syria, at least through the seven-year presidential term he claimed in disputed elections last year.
But Mr. de Mistura’s spokeswoman, Juliette Touma, said the envoy was referring not to the broader solution but to short-term efforts to de-escalate the violence, beginning with a proposed freeze in fighting in the divided northern city of Aleppo.
–
In a rare interview this week with BBC, Mr. Assad denied that his government used barrel bombs, the crude, inaccurate and explosive-packed devices whose use on civilian areas has been well documented. Mr. Assad also declared that he was protecting his people.
Mr. de Mistura added that only the Islamic State benefited from the Syrian war, The Associated Press reported. He spoke to reporters in Vienna on Friday after meetings with Austria’s foreign minister.
