International conference on Syria opens in Geneva

An international conference on Syria intended to discuss all viable mechanisms of ensuring a ceasefire in the Middle Eastern country started its work in Geneva on Saturday, RIA Novosti reports.

The ministerial conference with the participation of all the five permanent members of the UN Security Council (Russia, U.S., Great Britain, China and France), and also Turkey, Iraq, Kuwait and Qatar, is expected to discuss a peace plan by UN and Arab League special envoy Kofi Annan to end the bloodshed in the war-torn country.

Annan proposed on Wednesday creation of an interim Syrian government that would include both opposition figures and those loyal to President Bashar al-Assad.

Annan’s initiative comes almost three months after the implementation of the six-point peace plan, which was followed by a deadly massacre in the village of Houla, as well as numerous attacks in Damascus and other Syrian regions.

On Russia’s behalf, the conference is being attended by Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.