World Powers to Discuss Syrian Conflict

{{European Union foreign ministers have arrived in Luxembourg for talks that will have the Syria conflict high on its agenda.}}

Catherine Ashton, the EU foreign policy chief, said on Monday that the delegates will discuss how the bloc should act on the issue of Syria’s chemical weapons, political developments and humanitarian crisis.

Western and Arab diplomats have been trying to build support for long-delayed peace talks aimed at bringing together President Bashar al-Assad’s regime and Syria’s opposition.

Nabil el-Araby, the Arab League chief, said in Cairo on Sunday the talks would convene on November 23.

However, Lakhdar Brahimi, the joint UN-Arab League envoy for Syria, said the peace talks were in doubt unless a “credible opposition” agreed to take part.

“There is an agreement to attempt to hold Geneva 2 in November, but the date has not been officially set,” Brahimi said.

“The final date of the conference will be announced at a later time.”

The opposition’s Western and Arab backers are facing resistance from some among the opposition to attending the Geneva talks as long as Assad remains in power.

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