Syria peace conference II set for November 23-24

The second Syria peace conference will be held in Geneva, Switzerland on Nov. 23-24, said Arab League (AL) chief Nabil al-Arabi at a press conference here on Sunday. He said he was informed of the date by visiting UN-AL joint special envoy to Syria Lakhdar Brahimi at the Pan-Arab body's headquarters in Cairo. During their meeting, the two evaluated the regional and international efforts toward a political solution to the Syrian crisis, and discussed the current preparation for the conference and the contacts made with Syria's conflicting sides, especially with the national opposition coalition. Cairo is the first leg of Brahimi's regional tour in preparation for the long-awaited peace conference, which has been delayed multiple times. "The arrangements are being made to prepare for this conference, " Arabi told reporters after his meeting with Brahimi. However, the AL chief admitted that "a lot of challenges should be tackled to convene the conference." He added that "Geneva II" is needed to implement the document of the first conference, which calls for a transitional period and an interim government composed of members from both the administration and the opposition. Meanwhile, Brahimi told the reporters at the same press conference that the date has not been officially set yet. On Saturday, Brahimi said there should be no preconditions for any side to attend the peace talks. But, during Sunday's press conference, he said, "The conference will not be convened without convincing the opposition" to participate. He expressed hopes that the second peace conference will end the Syrian crisis and lead to a transitional stage to build a new Syria. He added that the situation in Syria is worsening as at least 100,000 have been killed, and one third of the Syrian people are suffering from diseases, displacement and detention. "All parties should realize that the situation in Syria is dangerous for the global peace," Brahimi added.