{{The second round of peace talks between the Syrian government and opposition representatives is due to begin in Geneva on Monday.}}<\/p>\n
The first round of talks ended last month with no firm agreements and with both sides trading insults.<\/p>\n
However, UN envoy Lakhdar Brahimi said then that some “common ground” had been reached.<\/p>\n
The talks come after hundreds of people were evacuated from the besieged city of Homs under a three-day truce.<\/p>\n
The evacuations were completed despite mortar fire and shooting, which both sides blamed on each other and that activists say killed several people and wounded several others.<\/p>\n
On Monday, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said France and other countries would present a resolution at the UN calling for greater access for humanitarian aid.<\/p>\n
“We are asking for stronger action as far as the humanitarian side is concerned, that medicines and food supplies are handed out in cities,” he told French radio.<\/p>\n
“It is absolutely scandalous that there have been discussions for quite a while and that people are still being starved every day, and so along with a number of other countries, we will present a resolution at the UN along those lines.”<\/p>\n
The civil conflict has claimed well over 100,000 lives since it began in 2011.<\/p>\n
The violence has also driven 9.5 million people from their homes, creating a major humanitarian crisis within Syria and for its neighbours.<\/p>\n
At the end of the last talks on 31 January, the two warring sides appeared to be a long way away from reaching any compromise.<\/p>\n
The government insists the talks focus on fighting “terrorism” – its description of the uprising – but the opposition says that the priority should be the removal of President Bashar al-Assad.<\/p>\n
It has insisted that the government commit in writing to the 2012 Geneva Communique, which called for the formation of a transitional administration with full executive authority.<\/p>\n
President Assad’s government has emphatically ruled out any transfer of power.<\/p>\n
Correspondents say that his position has been strengthened on the ground since the last round of talks because pro-Assad forces have made territorial gains while rival rebel forces have been fighting each other in the north and east of the country.<\/p>\n
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