Middle Orient

Syrian warplanes have killed more than 300 people, including 87 children, in an eight-day bombing campaign against rebel-held parts of the northern city of Aleppo, a monitor said Dec. 23.

The United Nations plans to precede its internationally brokered peace talks between Syria’s warring sides next month with a one-day meeting of foreign ministers in the Swiss city of Montreux.

The United States and Britain have suspended all non-lethal assistance into Northern Syria, citing concerns that the equipment could end up in the hands of al-Qaeda-linked fighters.

Interim Prime Minister of the Syrian National Coalition (SNC) Ahmad Ta’ma held talks on Thursday with French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius on the preparations for the International Geneva II Conference.

EU interior ministers met here Thursday and discussed among other subjects the issue of the European fighters in the armed conflict zones, Syria in particular.

Sergei Lavrov will visit Iran next week to discuss the interim deal reached by world powers and Tehran over its nuclear program and other issues.

The chemical materials will be, first, sent overland to the Syrian northern port of Latakia, where they will be shipped to another unspecified foreign harbor before being transferred to a specially equipped US naval vessel capable of safely destroying them at sea using hydrolysis — a process for chemicals’ decomposition.

NATO Foreign Ministers Wednesday held talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in the framework of the NATO-Russia Council. “Russia and NATO both play a critical role in the security of the Euro-Atlantic region. And today’s meeting will enable us to maintain the momentum in

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu has denied claims that Turkey has security forces in war-torn Syria in his response to a question submitted to Parliament by an opposition deputy.

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said Sunday his country spent nearly USD 650 million on the relief effort for the Syrian refugees in camps in areas close to the borders with Syria.