Friends of Syria group set to meet in LondonMay 15, 2014 - 09:27 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Foreign ministers from 11 Western and Arab nations are due to meet in London Thursday, May 15,to discuss new ways of supporting the Syrian opposition, BBC News reports. The Friends of Syria group will also discuss the country's dire humanitarian situation. US Secretary of State John Kerry is among those attending. The meeting comes days after UN special envoy Lakhdar Brahimi stepped down over lack of progress in ending the crisis. The Friends of Syria group is made up of Egypt, France, Germany, Italy, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, the UK and the U.S. It was set up in 2012 in response to moves by Russia and China to block UN resolutions on Syria. A UK Foreign Office spokesman said it was "the right time" for countries who support a democratic future for Syria to come together. "Foreign ministers will discuss how best to significantly step-up our support to the Syrian opposition, make urgent progress on improving the deteriorating humanitarian crisis and reinvigorate a political process that has stalled due to regime intransigence," the spokesman said. Thursday's meeting is the first time the group has met since January. The BBC says that since then, peace talks in Geneva have collapsed; Brahimi has stepped down and rebel forces inside Syria have lost ground to President Bashar al-Assad. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said the "hopelessly divided" international community was partly to blame for leaving Brahimi battling "almost impossible odds" in brokering a peace deal. Efforts to reconvene peace talks were dealt a fresh blow when Assad announced presidential elections for June 3. He is seeking a third seven-year term. The idea was dismissed by the U.S. as "a parody of democracy" and Ban said it could torpedo efforts to broker a peace deal. The Syrian government recently passed a new law stipulating that all candidates must have lived in Syria for the past 10 years. Most opposition leaders have fled the country, so are in effect barred from standing. Related links: Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Titus, Bilirakis lead legislation to sanction Azerbaijani war criminals Representatives Dina Titus (D-NV) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) have introduced the bipartisan legislation. Armenia: Defense Ministry warns against involving army in political processes The Ministry’s statement came after a video surfaced online, showing soldiers joining the protests in Tavush. Scholz hopes Armenia-Azerbaijan peace treaty will be signed this year German Chancellor Olaf Scholz hopes that a peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan will be signed this year. Ucom equips four bus stops in Ijevan with free Wi-Fi Ucom now provides free Wi-Fi coverage in smart bus stops in four communities of Ijevan. |