DHAKA: The UN special envoy for Syria, Lakhdar Brahimi, will hold discussions on the sidelines of a Group of 20 summit to push for an international conference to be held on ending Syria’s civil war.

UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon said in a statement that Brahimi was on his way to St Petersburg, where the G20 developed and developing economies were gathering on Thursday for two days of talks.

‘While the world is focused on concerns about the possible use of chemical weapons in Syria we must push even harder for the International Conference on Syria to take place in Geneva,’ the statement said, reports The Jerusalem Post.

‘A political solution is the only way to end the bloodshed in Syria,’ Ban was quoted as saying.

Russia and the United States announced in May they would try to bring Syrian government and opposition representatives together at an international conference, but no date has been set and there is no sign it could be held in the near future.

With host Russia opposing possible US-led military strikes to punish president Bashar Assad for an alleged chemical weapons attack, talks on the Syria conflict may overshadow the G20 summit talks on the global economy.

BDST: 1654 HRS, SEPT 05, 2013
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