By Moustafa Youssef
The Arab League has received an official invitation to attend next month's Geneva II conference on the Syria crisis, league deputy head Ahmed Ben Heli has said.
"A high-level league delegation will attend the conference," Ben Heli told reporters on Monday.
He added that the pan-Arab body would take part in preparations for the international event, which is set to kick off on January 22.
The conference is ostensibly aimed at finding a resolution to the ongoing crisis in violence-wracked Syria.
Syria has been in the throes of conflict since March 2011, when a peaceful uprising against President Bashar al-Assad escalated into civil war following a violent government crackdown.
According to the UN, more than 100,000 people have been killed in the conflict to date.
Noting that China supports relevant regions' and countries' participation in the conference, she underlined the expectation for the meeting being held as soon as possible with effective results, at a daily press conference in Beijing.
"We hope for a peaceful and stable life for the Syrian people,” she added.
The Geneva-2 peace conference set for January 22 aims for a solution to the crisis and the ensuring of improved access to those in need of help inside Syria.
Regarding the crisis in South Sudan, Chunying promised to work together with all sides to maintain stability and emphasized China’s concern regarding the current situation in the country.
South Sudan has been rocked by violence since last week, when President Salva Kiir accused sacked vice-president Riek Machar of staging a failed coup attempt.
Machar, for his part, has denied any involvement in the alleged coup attempt. Nevertheless, forces loyal to the sacked VP have moved to take control of South Sudan's Jonglei State and Unity State.
englishnews@aa.com.tr
