Ban Ki-moon to discuss Syria peace conference with Brahimi
The U.N.-backed Geneva II peace talks aims to bring representatives of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s government and the opposition to the negotiating table
U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon has said he will discuss the details of the Geneva II Conference with U.N. and Arab League envoy to Syria Lakhdar Brahimi in Paris on Sunday.
"We will work on establishing a transitional government with executive powers (just) like what the Geneva I Conference (stipulated)," Ban said on Saturday during the last day of the African-French Summit held in Paris.
Ban added that invitations to attend the Geneva II Conference will be distributed to Syrian opposition and government officials on December 20.
On Tuesday, Brahimi called on Syrians to seek a “swift settlement” to the ongoing crisis or warned that the country could “turn into a big Somalia.”
He also said he hopes Saudi Arabia and Iran participate in an upcoming peace conference to be held in Geneva next month.
He said opposing Syrian groups still seem to be unwilling to reach a ceasefire ahead of the Geneva talks.
The U.N.-backed Geneva II peace talks aims to bring representatives of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s government and the opposition to the negotiating table in a bid to end the bloody 32-month civil conflict, which has so far claimed 126,000 lives.
The opposition has agreed to attend the talks on condition that they lead to a transitional period excluding Assad and his regime.
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