Vienna (AFP) - World and regional powers working to end the Syrian conflict vowed to bolster the country's shaky ceasefire Tuesday but failed to set a new date for peace talks.
US Secretary of State John Kerry and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov put on their now customary joint appearance, but strains in the peace process were evident.
United Nations envoy Staffan de Mistura said he could not invite Bashar al-Assad's regime and the Syrian opposition back to peace talks until there is a "credible" ceasefire.
Kerry said the International Syrian Support Group (ISSG) had agreed there would be "consequences" for parties breaching the ceasefire and vowed to maintain pressure on Assad.
But Lavrov restated the Russian position that Assad's army is the best placed local faction to fight the Islamic State "terrorist" group and that Moscow would support it.
The evident divisions between ISSG co-chairs Russia and the United States have cast a pall on efforts to agree a framework under which Syria would "transition" away from Assad's rule.
