CAIRO - Syria’s opposition and government are preparing to take part in an internationally-sponsored peace conference, the United Nations-Arab League mediator Lakhdar Brahimi said on Tuesday.

“The Syrian people are building great hopes on the conference, as the opposition prepares itself to take part and likewise the Syrian regime prepares to take part in this conference,” he told reporters at the Arab League.

“The United Nations is working to organize the conference in the best way possible.”

The talks are due to take place in the Swiss city of Geneva in June. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is due to discuss current planning for the conference at a meeting in Jordan on Wednesday of the “Friends of Syria” club of countries. Brahimi said: “There are many problems in the preparation for this conference, the first of which is the formation of the delegations of the regime and the opposition.”He added: “The Geneva 2 conference is a great opportunity, and we hope that the brothers in Syria and the regional and international parties will cooperate to make it succeed.”

Syria’s opposition is also due to meet in Istanbul on Thursday to announce its stance while the Arab League’s Syria committee will meet in Cairo at the request of Qatar. (Reuters)