The first round of the US-Russia-brokered Geneva talks begin in the Swiss resort city of Montreux, but from the start bear little fruit.
The National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces, the main Western-backed political opposition group, agrees to take part in talks with Assad’s government for the first time since the conflict began in March 2011, leading to hopes that a peace solution can be found. However, after 10 days of the summit no progress is reached.
In the meantime, the first batch of Syrian chemical weapons materials leaves the country on a Danish ship.