The international talks in Vienna on finding a solution to the war in Syria are a shot in the arm for peace and stability in the region, commented a UAE daily. H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Foreign Minister, who attended the talks, met his Egyptian counterpart, Sameh Shoukry, on the sidelines of the international meet on Syria. He also met US Secretary of State, John Kerry, at the meeting. Major powers will meet again in two weeks' time for another round of talks on a political solution to the Syrian war, French Foreign Minister, Laurent Fabius, said. In an editorial on Sunday, The Gulf Today said, "The fact that the leaders discussed even the most difficult issues is a welcome sign. What is heartening is that, as Fabius remarked, they "advanced enough for us to meet again." "Friday's meeting was a culmination of a meeting held on October 23rd in Vienna when foreign ministers of the United States, Russia, Saudi Arabia and Turkey recognised the importance of broadening the scope of participation in such meetings by inviting nations who wield influence on the Syrian file, including the UK, China, France, Germany, Italy, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Oman, Jordan, Lebanon, EU and the UN Special Envoy for Syria. "More than four million Syrians fled the civil war in their country, now in its fifth year. Many are fleeing to Europe, at great cost. At least 17 children drowned when three boats sank en route from Greece to Turkey on Friday. It is the latest tragedy to hit migrants braving the unwieldy, extremely cold seas to seek asylum in Europe. "The heart-rending picture of Aylan Kurdi, the three-year-old Syrian boy whose body was found washed up on a Turkish beach in September, is hard to wipe out. "US President Barack Obama's deployment of up to 50 US special operations troops into northern Syria to assist in the fight against Daesh marks the first time the US has openly sent forces into Syria, expanding the geographic reach of Obama's military efforts in the Middle East "Thousands of civilians have died in the clashes between government troops and rebels. A million people have been wounded during Syria's civil war and diseases are spreading as regular supplies of medicine fail to reach patients. The health system is very ropey. Half of public hospitals are out of service, which means that treatments for diseases and injuries are irregular. The Sharjah-based daily concluded by saying, "For countless Syrians, the cup of sorrow is only overflowing, owing to a conflict that has never seemed to end. Amid this gloomy scenario, one only hopes that the talks ultimately lead to a solution, and lift the pall of stark gloom, despair and uncertainty that has been clouding the lives of millions of Syrians for far too long."
