UN-EU conference raises $4.4 billion in aid for Syria

Brussels, April 26 (IANS/WAM) International donors at a UN-EU humanitarian conference have pledged $4.4 billion to fund critical aid programmes in war-torn Syria throughout 2018.

Gathered in the Belgian capital alongside top officials from over 85 countries and organisations, UN and EU leaders said on Wednesday that the stalled UN-led Syrian political negotiations, known as the intra-Syrian talks, must be revived.

In a video message to the conference, which aimed to boost support for the future of Syria as well as the wider region, hosting millions of refugees, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that negotiations were the only way forward. "The solution must be political."

The UN chief also stressed on the importance of Security Council resolution 2254 (2015), which endorsed a road map for a peace process in Syria, and the 2012 Geneva communique, which set out the principles for a political transition in the country.

Guterres said he will continue to engage with member states to move towards a genuine and credible political solution that meets the aspirations of the Syrian people to dignity and freedom.

--IANS/WAM

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