The UN's chief negotiator has warned warring parties that the conflict does not have a "military solution." Talks in Geneva are to focus on the political dimensions of the conflict as a nationwide ceasefire holds.
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The UN envoy for Syria on Thursday welcomed government and rebel delegations in Geneva, marking the beginning of fresh peace talks aimed at ending six years of conflict in the war-torn country.
"A long, hard journey towards peace can start here today," said UN envoy Staffan de Mistura.
Prior to talks, Mistura met with a group of Syrian women calling for warring parties to discuss the fate of detainees and abducted people in the conflict.
"There are thousands and thousands of mothers, wives, daughters who are hoping that at least this aspect will be one of the benefits of any negotiation," the veteran diplomat told reporters.
Human rights watchdog Amnesty International earlier this month reported that up to 13,000 people, "most of them civilians believed to be opposed to the government," had been executed at a prison in Saydnaya.
However, UN-backed negotiations in Geneva are expected to deal with core political questions while talks in the Kazakh capital of Astana, brokered by Russia, Turkey and Iran, have focused on a fragile ceasefire and armed conflict.
Militant groups, including the "Islamic State" and al-Qaeda-linked Fatah al-Sham Front, formerly the Al Nusra Front, have been excluded from the talks.
How did Europe's refugee crisis start?
From escalating violence in the Middle East and Africa to incoherent asylum policy at home - DW looks at how the EU has found itself in the midst of a refugee crisis.
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Fleeing war and poverty
In late 2014, with the war in Syria approaching its fourth year and Islamic State making gains in the north of the country, the exodus of Syrians intensified. At the same time, others were fleeing violence and poverty in countries such as Iraq, Afghanistan, Eritrea, Somalia, Niger and Kosovo.
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Seeking refuge over the border
Vast numbers of Syrian refugees had been gathering in border-town camps in neighboring Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan since 2011. By 2015, with the camps full to bursting and residents often unable to find work or educate their children, more and more people decided to seek asylum further afield.
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A long journey on foot
In 2015 an estimated 1.5 million people made their way on foot from Greece towards western Europe via the "Balkan route". The Schengen Agreement, which allows passport-free travel within much of the EU, was called into question as refugees headed towards the wealthier European nations.
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Desperate sea crossings
Tens of thousands of refugees were also attempting the perilous journey across the Mediterranean on overcrowded boats. In April 2015, 800 people of various nationalities drowned when a boat traveling from Libya capsized off the Italian coast. This was to be just one of many similar tragedies - by the end of the year, nearly 4,000 refugees were reported to have died attempting the crossing.
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Pressure on the borders
Countries along the EU's external border struggled to cope with the sheer number of arrivals. Fences were erected in Hungary, Slovenia, Macedonia and Austria. Asylum laws were tightened and several Schengen area countries introduced temporary border controls.
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Closing the open door
Critics of German Chancellor Angela Merkel's "open-door" refugee policy claimed it had made the situation worse by encouraging more people to embark on the dangerous journey to Europe. By September 2016, Germany had also introduced temporary checks on its border with Austria.
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Striking a deal with Turkey
In early 2016, the EU and Turkey signed an agreement under which refugees arriving in Greece could be sent back to Turkey. The deal has been criticized by human rights groups and came under new strain following a vote by the European Parliament in November to freeze talks on Turkey's potential accession to the EU.
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No end in sight
With anti-immigration sentiment in Europe growing, governments are still struggling to reach a consensus on how to handle the continuing refugee crisis. Attempts to introduce quotas for the distribution of refugees among EU member states have largely failed. Conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere show no signs coming to an end, and the death toll from refugee sea crossings is on the rise.
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'No military solution'
Although de Mistura cast doubt on a "breakthrough" in Geneva, he has vowed to establish momentum towards a political solution to a conflict that has displaced millions.
"There is no military solution, just a political solution. It is true today, and will be true tomorrow," de Mistura told delegations in Geneva. "Syrian people want an end to this conflict, and you know it well. They are waiting."
More than 300,000 people have been killed and half the population displaced since 2011, when regime forces launched a brutal campaign against protesters calling for President Bashar al-Assad to step down.
Since then, Syria has witnessed a multifaceted conflict in which militant groups, state actors and major global powers, including the US and Russia, attempt to secure their interests in the country.
Russia's security interests
On Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin told naval officers that their involvement in the conflict has led to greater security for their homeland.
"We have no plans to interfere in Syria's internal affairs," Putin said. "Our task is to stabilize the legitimate authority in the country and strike a decisive blow against international terrorism," he added.
Russian forces entered the conflict in September 2015 in a bid to bolster Assad's forces, effectively shifting the war's direction into Damascus' favor with the recapture of eastern Aleppo.