UN chief, Russia call for swift Syria conference

Syrian rebels fire at pro-regime forces during clashes in the northern city of Aleppo, on May 12, 2013. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and UN chief Ban Ki-moon have agreed that a conference to end the conflict in Syria backed by Moscow and Washington should be held as soon as possible. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and UN chief Ban Ki-moon on Friday agreed that a conference to end the conflict in Syria backed by Moscow and Washington should be held as soon as possible. "The sooner this conference is held, the better... the key thing now is who is ready to take part on the Syrian side," Lavrov said in the southern city of Sochi after talks with Ban. The UN chief said the conference should take place "as soon as possible" and called on Damascus to allow in UN experts to assess claims over the alleged use of chemical weapons.