UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has called for “flexibility” at talks in Vienna between the countries backing rival sides in the Syrian civil war, the BBC report.

He urged the five main participants – the US, Russia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Turkey – to abandon “national perspectives” for “global leadership”.

On the eve of the talks, Mr Ban urged the five main participants to think beyond their immediate interests.

“The longer they take their own national perspectives, the more people will suffer, and the whole world will suffer,” he said. “As I always say, there is no military solution.”