NEW YORK, May 10 (RIA Novosti) - UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Thursday thanked top Russian and US diplomats for their initiative to organize an international conference on Syria, his spokesman Martin Nesirky said.
The Secretary-General spoke by telephone separately with US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
“They discussed the recent statements on Syria made during the Secretary of State’s visit to Moscow. The Secretary-General commended both men for their leadership and initiative,” Nesirky told reporters.
During US Secretary of State John Kerry’s visit to Russia earlier this week, an agreement was reached to hold an international meeting on Syria that will include both representatives of the Syrian government and opposition. The conference, expected to be arranged by the end of this month, will be aimed at facilitating a solution to the Syrian crisis through political dialog.
“The United Nations stands ready to play its role in helping to bring about a peaceful settlement. The Secretary-General strongly encourages all parties to seize this opportunity,” the spokesman said.
