Geneva-2 still up in the air, efforts for political settlement to be continued - Brahimi
KUWAIT CITY. September 30. KAZINFORM A peace conference on Syria in Geneva is still up in the air but efforts to settle to Syrian conflict will be continued, Arab League-United Nations envoy Lakhdar Brahimi said in an interview with the Al Arabiya television channel on Sunday.
"Despite the fact that it was announced that Geneva-2 may be held in mid-November, the exact date has not yet been fixed," he said. The Geneva meeting will be geared towards the implementation of agreements reached at the first conference in Geneva on June 30, 2012, he noted, Itar-Tass reports.
Geneva-2, in his words, will be absolutely different from the previous Geneva meeting, since it is to involve representatives from both official Damascus and the opposition. It is not ruled out that Iran may send a delegation too, although the opposition is categorically against it.
"I think Iran's participation is very important," Brahimi stressed, noting that representatives from Egypt, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and some other Arab states, as well as Secretary General of the League of Arab States Nabil al-Arabi would be invited.
An essential condition for such large-scale multi-party talks is a ceasefire. "We hope for a ceasefire before Geneva-2," he said.