UN chief pushes for Syria conference
- 11 years ago
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Friday urged countries to continue to focus on the conflict in Syria and called on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to allow UN investigators into the country to investigate claims of chemical weapons attacks.
Ban met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in the Black Sea resort of Sochi where the UN chief is also expected to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday.
He praised Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry for their leadership in proposing and organising an urgent meeting of stakeholders in the conflict.
(SOUNDBITE) (English) UN SECRETARY-GENERAL, BAN KI-MOON, SAYING:
"We should not lose this momentum generated by Minister Lavrov and Secretary Kerry. There is a high expectation that this meeting should be held as soon as possible."
The meeting will aim to include the same global powers that attended a 2012 meeting on Syria in Geneva, but this time would also have representatives of the Syria
Ban met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in the Black Sea resort of Sochi where the UN chief is also expected to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday.
He praised Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry for their leadership in proposing and organising an urgent meeting of stakeholders in the conflict.
(SOUNDBITE) (English) UN SECRETARY-GENERAL, BAN KI-MOON, SAYING:
"We should not lose this momentum generated by Minister Lavrov and Secretary Kerry. There is a high expectation that this meeting should be held as soon as possible."
The meeting will aim to include the same global powers that attended a 2012 meeting on Syria in Geneva, but this time would also have representatives of the Syria