Brahimi: No date for Geneva II conference on Syria

The Joint Special Representative of the UN and the League of Arab for Syria Lakhdar Brahimi announced Tuesday that parties concerned with the Syrian crisis have failed to agree on a date for the second Geneva conference for Syria. He stated that the meetings he held Tuesday with senior diplomats of countries concerned with the Syrian crisis did not end up with a date for the conference. Brahimi met today morning with Russian foreign minister's deputies Gennady Gatilov and Mikhail Bogdanov and US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Wendy Sherman. Representatives of the three other permanent members of the UN Security Council -- China, France and Britain -- joined the meeting later, as were representatives of the UN, Arab League and Syria's neighbors, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey. Brahimi went on to say that he will meet US and Russian diplomats again on 25 November to discuss arrangements for the conference. "We're still hoping that we'll be able to have the conference before the end of the year." He pointed out the Syrian regime and opposition will be represented in the conference. The UN envoy said that the Syrian opposition is facing a real challenge of agreeing on its representatives in the conference. He stressed that the declaration of the first Geneva conference will be the reference for the second meeting. "Participation in the conference should be unconditional," he said. Geneva II aims to find a diplomatic solution to the nearly three-year deadly civil conflict that has already killed more than 120,000 people and displaced millions others. Brahimi said the patience of UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is running out due to the worsening humanitarian situation in the war-ravaged country. He hoped the second Syria donors conference which Kuwait will host in January will help raise considerable amount of donations to finance relief agencies that works to ease the sufferings of the people