Brussels, 27/11/2013 (Agence Europe) - On the evening of 26 November, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs Catherine Ashton welcomed the news that Secretary General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon has set 22 January 2014 as the date for the “long-awaited” conference on Syria, known as the Geneva 2 peace conference. Ashton expressed her firm support for Ban Ki-moon's calls for the eight weeks up to 22 January to be used to “build up confidence among the parties through the cessation of violence, humanitarian access, release of detainees and return of Syrian refugees and internally displaced people to their homes”. The high representative also expressed her hopes that the two parties would appoint representatives in the near future for the negotiations which, “in a spirit of openness and responsibility for their country, will work towards finding a way out of this tragic conflict, and open a new chapter in Syria's history in line with the legitimate aspirations of all Syrians to live in a country where peace, security and stability have been restored”.
Ashton said that the EU has worked to create conditions conducive for the conference between all important players to be held. She reiterated that she had on many occasions expressed her “firm support” for a political solution to the conflict in Syria and that the EU has been a “fervent supporter” of the efforts of special envoy Lakhdar Brahimi.
The conference Geneva I was held in June 2012. The Geneva 2 conference has been announced several times, for May, for the summer and for November 2013, without having yet taken place. (CG/transl.fl)