US and Russia agree to hold Syria conference

Russia and the United States have agreed to arrange an international conference aimed at ending the crisis in Syria. They plan to engage both the government of President Bashar al Assad and the rebels fighting to overthrow him. A visit by the US Secretary of State John Kerry to Moscow appears to have gone some way towards bridging the gap between the powers, who have long held opposing views on the Syrian conflict. Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said: “Russia and the United States will push the Syrian government and opposition groups to reach a political resolution.” “We have also agreed on the need – as soon as possible, perhaps even at the end of this month – to convene an international conference to build on the one held last June in Geneva,” Lavrov continued.