UN chief supports peaceful solution for Syria crisis

The UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon says the ongoing violence in Syria should stop and the crisis should be resolved through political dialogue, PressTV reports.

“That [Syrian crisis] should be resolved through political dialogue, reflecting the genuine aspirations and will of the Syrian people,” Ban said in a press conference to the sidelines of the 67th UN General Assembly meeting on Thursday.

“This is exactly what joint especial representative, Lakhdar Brahimi, conveyed seriously to President [Bashar] Assad, the representatives of opposition forces, and many other key partners in the region,” he added.

The UN chief also said those who send arms to Syria are reducing Brahimi’s chances of achieving a political solution.

Lakhdar Brahimi was appointed as the UN and Arab League special envoy to Syria on August 17, 2012, and formally took over the job on September 1.

Syria has been the scene of deadly unrest since mid-March, 2011, and many people, including large numbers of army and security personnel, have been killed in the violence.

Damascus blames outlaws, saboteurs, and armed terrorists for the unrest while the opposition accuses the security forces of being behind the violence.

The Syrian government says the chaos is being orchestrated from outside and accuses certain Western and regional countries of arming and funding insurgents operating in the country.