Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that the Friends of Syria Conference will be held in Istanbul on April 2, RIA Novosti reports.
The first conference was held in Tunisia in late February. Russia did not attend the talks, Erdogan, leader of the Justice and Development Party, urged immediate cease-fire in Syria and expressed support for efforts of Kofi Annan, special UN and Arab League representative, in negotiations between the Turkish authorities and Syrian National Council in Ankara.
According to the UN, about 7,500 people have died in the disorders of Syria. Russian foreign minister and members of the Arab League published a joint statement on 5 basic principles of settling the crisis on March 10. They include cease-fire, impartial monitoring, prevention of intervention, access to humanitarian aid for the population and support of Kofi Annan’s mission.
