The Geneva II conference kicked off on Wednesday, which is believed as the most serious effort yet to end the crisis in the Middle Eastern country, as the representatives from the Syrian government and the main opposition meet there for the first time since the start of the conflict.
Held in the Swiss town of Montreux on the shores of Lake Geneva, the conference brings together top global diplomats who believe that simply bringing the two Syrian sides together is a mark of some progress and could be an important first step.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon opened the Geneva II conference, urging the warring sides in the Arab country to seize the opportunity to resolve their differences.
"After nearly three painful years of conflict and suffering in Syria, today is a day of hope," Ban said.
"You have an enormous opportunity and responsibility to render a service to the people of Syria," the UN chief told representatives of the Syrian government, the main opposition in the country and some 40 nations who have convened in the Swiss town.
On Tuesday, British Foreign Secretary William Hague said on arrival to Montreux "It would be wrong to expect progress in the next few days in terms of major breakthroughs."
"Nevertheless, things can be achieved once diplomacy starts, once diplomacy is attempted -- we've seen that on many other subjects, including with Iran on its nuclear program," he added referring to nuclear agreement reached between Iran and world powers.
"Everybody has to understand that this is the beginning of a process. It's not going to be fast. It's very bitter fighting on the ground. And so there's going to be an absolute requirement for patience and for persistence," a senior US State Department official said.
For his part, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said a long-awaited international conference on the ongoing crisis in Syria will not be "simple."
Referring to the conference, Lavrov said, "The negotiations will not be simple, they will not be quick."
He further called on the participants in the conference to help end the crisis in the Arab country.
"There is a historic responsibility on the shoulders of all participants," Lavrov told the representatives from Syria's warring sides and some 40 countries, adding, "Our common task is to achieve an end to the tragic conflict in Syria, which has brought incalculable pain to the Syrian people."
He also warned about the spillover of the crisis in Syria to other regional countries, saying, "We must not allow the shockwaves to engulf the region."
Russian FM also warned about the inflow of foreign-backed militants into Syria and the damage they have caused there.
"The threat of Syria turning into a cauldron of international terrorism has turned into a most serious problem. Extremists from across the world are wrecking chaos, ruining cultural and democratic foundation formed over centuries," said Lavrov.
No direct talks are expected until Friday, when opposition and regime delegations will meet in Geneva for negotiations that officials have said could last seven to 10 days.
Notably absent from the talks will be Iran, after Ban, pressured by the US, reversed a last-minute invitation when the opposition said it would boycott if Tehran took part.
