Geneva II conference on Syria Jan 22

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Monday announced that a conference on Syria or Geneva II would be convened Jan 22, according to a statement.

The conference will bring the Syrian government and the opposition to the negotiating table for the first time since the start of the Syrian conflict, reports Xinhua.

"The Geneva conference is the vehicle for a peaceful transition that fulfills the legitimate aspirations of all the Syrian people for freedom and dignity, and which guarantees safety and protection to all communities in Syria," the statement said.

Ban appreciated the initiating states of the conference, Russia and the US, as well as other member states and the UN-Arab League Joint Special Envoy to Syria Lakhdar Brahimi for their hard work.

The statement said the goal of the conference is the full implementation of the Geneva Communique of June 30, 2012, which was reached after the Action Group meeting on Syria held in Geneva in June 2012, and included the establishment based on mutual consent of a transitional governing body in the war-torn country.

The long-delayed Syria peace talks will bring the Syrian government and opposition to a negotiating table for the first time since the start of the two-year Syrian conflict.