(MENAFN- Jordan Times) 'My assessment is that there will not be a formal political settlement at all,' Yezid Sayigh, a senior fellow at Carnegie Middle East Centre, told AFP.
'Regime advances make this almost a certainty,' he added.
Since Russia's military intervention in support of Assad in 2015, the regime has gained the upper hand, retaking the former rebel bastion of Aleppo late last year.
For Syria specialist Thomas Pierret, as 'the regime continues to gain ground... there's no reason for it to make the slightest concession'.
But HNC spokesman Salem Al Meslet told journalists late on Wednesday that he hoped this round would 'see real talks, not only a waste of time'.
Fresh fighting
An already-fragile ceasefire has deteriorated further in recent days after rebels and allied extremists launched two surprise offensives on government positions in Damascus and central Hama province.
Assad's air force has responded with raids on rebel targets.
The pro-government Al Watan newspaper quoted an unnamed government negotiator as saying that the Damascus and Hama violence 'make it clear and without any doubt that these groups and the countries who operate them want to... undermine any chance of finding a solution'.
Hariri described the escalation of violence around Damascus as 'self-defence'.
So far, there is no plan for the government and rebels to meet face-to-face.
De Mistura has said he wants to unify the HNC with two smaller opposition camps — known as the Moscow and Cairo platforms — before presenting the government with a single rebel delegation.
Ramzy was scheduled to meet the Moscow and Cairo groups later on Thursday, but uniting them with the HNC could be tough due to disagreements over core issues, including Assad's future.
'We still insist on direct negotiations,' Meslet told reporters.
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