CRI听力:Political Solution Only Way to Ease Syrian Crisis

The second round of Syria peace talks have kicked off in Geneva.

The meeting is expected to focus on a ceasefire and the establishment of a transitional government inside the war-torn country.

CRI's Xie Zhao has more.

Report: The second round of Syria peace talks started with the international mediator meeting with the two sides separately.

Ahead of Monday's meeting, Lakhdar Brahimi told delegates to first commit to discussing both ending the fighting and setting up a transitional government.

Both the government and opposition delegates seemed to agree on the ceasefire proposal.

Syrian deputy foreign minister Faisal Mekdad.

"I assure you that if we don't discuss how to stop such massacres, the Syrian people will have no confidence in the process that's going on here. That's why we have to discuss matters as they are mentioned in the Geneva communique, starting with putting an end to violence and terrorism, and moving point by point to the other items on the agenda."

Louay Safi, a Syrian National Coalition spokesperson said they stuck to their demands of establishing a transitional governing body.

"Today we met with Lakhdar Brahimi. We discussed particularly two issues - the issue of the transitional process. We had our own vision, our own principles. We provided those and we told Brahimi that we would like to see the violence of the regime stop completely."

Brahimi is also due to meet with the Russian and US sides this Friday to discuss the Syrian issue.

The first round of international talks on the Syrian crisis last month has brought the opposing sides face to face in Geneva, though they still disagree on the core issue of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's future.

Evacuating women and children from the rebel-held old city of Homs was also discussed in the first round talks.

Under an agreement recently concluded between Damascus and the UN, around 1 thousand civilians have been evacuated from the old quarter of Homs in central Syria.

The truce has been extended to another 3 days to allow more civilians to flee the besieged city.

On Monday, China welcomed the move and expressed its support for the talks.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying.

"It is the only correct way to ease the Syrian crisis through the political solution. The Geneva talks will be a lasting process. China is calling on Syria's both sides insist on the direction of the political solution and continue negotiating to reach an agreement, finding a reconciliation middle road for the two sides. International communities also create a favorable environment for the negotiation."

Meanwhile the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, says a third shipment of chemical weapons material has left Syria.

The material is on board a Norwegian cargo vessel accompanied by a naval escort from China, Denmark, Norway, and Russia.

For CRI, I'm Xie Zhao.