The European Union will host a Syria donor conference in Brussels on June 29-30 to raise funds for victims of the nine-year war and surrounding countries, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Friday.
Borrell, the EU's top diplomat, said in Zagreb that governments involved in the conflict will be invited, referring to Turkey and Russia.
The conference will be the fourth annual donors' event held by the EU and its partners, he said.
EU countries gave a cautious welcome Friday to a Russian-Turkish ceasefire in Syria but urged warring parties to allow in more humanitarian aid.
Foreign ministers from the 27 EU states held talks in Zagreb on the crisis in the northwestern Syrian province of Idlib, where Ankara is battling Moscow-backed government forces.
A ceasefire came into force at midnight aiming to halt intense fighting that has sparked a humanitarian crisis and raised fears of Turkish and Russian armies clashing.
"For sure I am pleased for the ceasefire, the ceasefire is good news. At least it's goodwill -- let's see how it works," Borrell said.
The ministers called "in the strongest possible terms" for the ceasefire to be implemented to protect civilians and "to enable the unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance by the international community".
The EU has announced 60 million euros ($68 million) in humanitarian assistance for northwest Syria, as part of a 170 million euro package for those in need across the war-torn country.
But Borrell warned that logistics were a bigger challenge than financing -- the difficulties of trucking in supplies to feed and shelter a million people in the middle of winter.
