A UN-backed international conference started Wednesday at the Swiss lakeside city of Montreux, aiming to end a three-year-long conflict in Syria.

The meeting, dubbed Geneva II and chaired by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, gathered representatives from both the Syrian government and the oppositional organizations for the first time in three years.

The conference also saw foreign ministers and officials from nearly 40 other countries, including those from the five permanent members of the UN Security Council - the United States, Russia, China, France and Britain - along with delegates from regional powers, such as Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Qatar among others.

Arab League chief Nabil Elaraby and High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton will be present at the meeting.