PA asks to attend upcoming Geneva II conference

The Palestinian Authority representative to the UN in Geneva Ibrahim Khraishi said on Friday that the PA has applied to participate in an upcoming international summit to find a solution to the ongoing crisis in Syria.

Khraishi told Ma'an that PA foreign minister Riyadh al-Malki has sent letters to the United States, Russia, and UN secretary general Ban Ki-Moon requesting to attend the Geneva II conference on January 22.

The conference will bring together the Syrian regime and opposition forces, along with a number of countries and international organizations, to discuss steps to end the civil war in Syria.

Khraishi stressed the importance of Palestinian representation at the conference due to the presence of around 500,000 Palestinian refugees in Syria, whose conditions need to be monitored.

Khraishi added that they are still awaiting a response to their request and expect it to be discussed during an upcoming meeting of Arab ministers on Saturday and Sunday. 

At least 1,500 Palestinians have been killed in the ongoing Syria conflict, and around 250,000 Palestinian refugees have been forced to leave their homes in Syria due to violence in the country.

The Syrian conflict, which began as peaceful protests in March 2011 but developed into a civil war, has killed more than 130,000 people and prompted millions to flee their homes.