Aug 09, 2013
New York, (SANA)- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called for speeding up the preparations for holding the international conference on the crisis in Syria.
During a business dinner in New York, Lavrov and Ki-moon called for "stopping the escalation of the humanitarian crisis and growing violence in Syria", as reported by Russia Today website.
The UN Secretary General stressed the need to reach a political solution to the crisis.
In a press conference after the meeting, Lavrov warned that delaying the conference will allow more numbers of terrorists to interfere and fight the Syrian government and opposition alike.
He stressed that the Geneva communique issued in June, 2012, which stipulates for comprehensive dialogue between the Syrian government and opposition, is the sole way to find an exit from the current crisis.
He highlighted that the Syrian government is ready to dispatch a negotiating delegation without preconditions as it is now up to the opposition, adding that " The longer this mission is delayed, the more clear the necessity to focus on fighting terrorism".
Lavrov told a joint press conference with Ghana's Foreign Minister held last Wednesday in Moscow that Russia was waiting a respond from the "Syrian opposition" to participate in the international conference due to be held on Syria in Geneva.
He noted that Russia will continue calling upon the "Syrian opposition" to sit at the negotiating table, reminding that the Syrian government has already stressed its readiness to participate in the conference without preconditions.
© SANA (Syria Arab News Agency) 2013
