Brahimi: Lebanon ready to take part in Geneva II conference

The UN-Arab League Joint Special Representative to Syria Lakhdar Brahimi said Friday Lebanon was for convening the Geneva II Conference on peace in neighboring Syria and was awaiting for an invitation. It is important for Lebanon to participate in the planned conference to help stop the ramifications of the Syrian crisis on it, he said at a joint press conference with UN Secretary General's Special Coordinator for Lebanon Derek Plumbly and Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati. Brahimi arrived here from Damascus earlier today as part of a tour of several Middle East countries, aiming to muster support for the conference. "I was honored to meet with (Lebanese) President Michel Sleiman, Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri and caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati," he said. "I told them about my visits to a number of countries and about the preparations we are carrying out in order to convene the conference. "Lebanon and its three leaders support the idea of the conference and of convening it and they are in favor of being invited; and of course when they receive the invitation, they will decide about attendance and I think they are leaning in favor of attending," Brahimi affirmed. On the outcome of his talks in Syria, he said: "President Bashar Al-Assad, in addition to many sides representing the civil society, political parties, intellectuals and others and the Syrian government, the internal opposition and the personalities that we met, they all accept the conference. "The Syrian government has agreed to participate in it without prior conditions, as we have been saying with regards to the conference," he went on. "Regarding the outcome of the tour, we did not hear in any country opposing the idea of the conference; all are ready to attend," Brahimi added. On his part, Mikati agreed that Lebanon backs holding the Geneva II Conference but prefers to fortify its internal front against any spillover of the Syrian crisis. "Lebanon, the worst hit country by the Syrian crisis, will decide on whether to attend the conference upon receiving an invitation," he said, referring to the huge number of refugees from Syria