UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on all sides involved in the crisis in Syria to seek a political solution and apply the Geneva statement issued June 2012.

In a press conference on Friday, Ban said that all sides must realize that it\'s impossible to resolve the crisis using military methods, voicing hope that the countries participating in the upcoming international conference on Syria "Geneva 2" will work to help Syrian sides reach an agreement.

The Secretary-General called for an immediate cessation of acts of violence, saying that all sides must work to ensure that humanitarian aid reaches people in all areas with difficult security situations.

Regarding the disposal of chemical weapons in Syria, Ban hoped that this process will be finished as scheduled, noting that this will be difficult due to the situation on the ground, and affirming that the joint mission of the UN and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) is doing its best to carry out its work in Syria.

He also voiced concern over the spread of sectarian hostility in the Middle East and called for focusing on both ending crises and achieving the millennial goals for combating poverty and climate change.