CRI听力:UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon Calls for a Nation Wide Ceasefire in Syria

The talks between the UN Secretary-General and Prime Minister Stefan Lofven was dominated by Syria and the EU's refugee crisis.

It came shortly after a UN meeting in Geneva over how to resettle nearly half a million Syrian asylum seekers over the next three years.

Speaking to the press after the meeting, Ban Ki-Moon said there must be peace in Syria.

"It is essential to address the root causes and the central one is working for peace and addressing the situation in Syria and Iraq. I'm encouraged that the cessation of hostilities is holding by an large. We must strive now for a national ceasefire in the talks which will resume next week."

Ban also said that Swedish feminist policies can be helpful in achieving peace in Syria.

"Swedish feminist foreign policies can empower women and girls. One of the keys to future prosperity and security around the world. And we discussed how we can involve Syria women. He (Lofven) was very much strong one in this point. And I told him, I have noted and I will do my best."

When it comes to the refugee crisis, Ban Ki-Moon called on more countries to share what he says is a global responsibility.

"We discussed the challenges caused by the large scale on movement of refugees and migrants in Europe. I continue to call on more countries to join Sweden in resettling refugees, and sharing what is a global responsibility."

The UN wants to resettle around 480,000 refugees by the end of 2018, but is facing a tough challenge as an increasing number of countries, including Sweden, have been tightening their borders in the past year.

More than 1.2 million migrants have come to Europe since January 2015 in the continent's biggest migration crisis since World War Two, and around 4,000 have drowned while trying to cross the Aegean Sea between Turkey and Greece.

Sweden itself took in a record 163,000 asylum seekers last year, was one of the main proponents behind the controversial agreement made in Brussels.