The peace talks aimed at ending the nearly three-year-old Syrian Civil War will move to Geneva on Friday, after the first day of discussions yielded a whole lot of nothing.  The parties are still bitterly divided about whether the future of President Bashar al-Assad.

At a swanky hotel in Montreux on Switzerland’s Lake Geneva shoreline, the conference began with a lowlight – UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon had to school the Syrian government delegation about going too long with speeches, wasting valuable discussion time. 

The Syrian government pushed its position that only Syrians will determine the future of the country, and insisted outside nations stop sending arms into the country, referring to the rebels as “terrorists”. 

US Secretary of State John Kerry reiterated the rebel position that Bashar al-Assad has to go, and he cannot take part in an interim government nor run for office.  His Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov urged all sides to let the talks take their course, without pushing predetermined outcomes.