Syria conference must be held soon to end crisis: US Secretary of State
Iran Press TV
Tue Jul 2, 2013 2:21PM GMT
US Secretary of State John Kerry says an international conference must be held soon to explore ways of ending the crisis in Syria.
Kerry made the remarks on Tuesday, after he met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on the sidelines of an Asian security summit in Brunei.
He added that both the US and Russia are seriously committed to the meeting, but acknowledged it might not be possible until August or later.
“We agreed that we are both serious, more than serious…. We have an obligation to try to work towards a peaceful resolution because a peaceful settlement is the best way to save the state of Syria and to minimize destruction…. Obviously, August is very difficult for Europeans and others so it (international conference) maybe somewhat thereafter,” Kerry added.
A previous agreement had been reached in Geneva, Switzerland, last June, under which the international community agreed to seek a political transition in Syria.
This comes while Russia accuses Washington of breaching the agreement by recognizing foreign-backed opposition groups and supporting militants fighting the Syrian government.
The Syria crisis began in March 2011, and many people, including large numbers of soldiers and security personnel, have been killed in the violence.
In an interview broadcast on Turkish television on April 5, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said if the militants take power in Syria, they could destabilize the entire Middle East region for decades.
MAM/PR/SS
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