United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon currently in Russia where he is to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin for talks on Syria, said that it is important not to "lose momentum" in talks on setting up a peace conference on Syria next month. The meeting is being held in the Black Sea resort town of Sochi.
Ban told reporters Friday that momentum gained by recent talks between US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov should be built upon, rather than wasted. He also said a UN team is ready any time to investigate claims that the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is using chemical weapons against rebels.
While calling on Syria to allow an inspection for chemical weapons, Russia's FM Lavrov has echoed Ban's call for immediate action, saying the sooner an international peace conference on Syria is held, the better.
Meanwhile, the New York Times reported Friday that Russia has sent more advanced anti-ship cruise missiles to Syria. At the same time, Russia, that has been pushing for inclusion of Syrian ally Iran and western ally Saudi Arabia in the talks, has accused the United States of trying to narrow the field of participants. It also said it has no interest in seeing Assad remain in power.
Syria was also on the agenda during talks between US President Barack Obama and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thurdsay. They said they will keep pressure on Syria's President to step down.
Later, at a joint news conference at the White House, Obama said that he and Erdogan agree that President Bashar al-Assad should hand over power to a transitional body.
Erdogan said Turkey and the United States also plan to keep supporting the Syrian opposition.
Ban told reporters Friday that momentum gained by recent talks between US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov should be built upon, rather than wasted. He also said a UN team is ready any time to investigate claims that the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is using chemical weapons against rebels.
While calling on Syria to allow an inspection for chemical weapons, Russia's FM Lavrov has echoed Ban's call for immediate action, saying the sooner an international peace conference on Syria is held, the better.
Meanwhile, the New York Times reported Friday that Russia has sent more advanced anti-ship cruise missiles to Syria. At the same time, Russia, that has been pushing for inclusion of Syrian ally Iran and western ally Saudi Arabia in the talks, has accused the United States of trying to narrow the field of participants. It also said it has no interest in seeing Assad remain in power.
Syria was also on the agenda during talks between US President Barack Obama and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thurdsay. They said they will keep pressure on Syria's President to step down.
Later, at a joint news conference at the White House, Obama said that he and Erdogan agree that President Bashar al-Assad should hand over power to a transitional body.
Erdogan said Turkey and the United States also plan to keep supporting the Syrian opposition.
