Al-Moallem: Combating terrorism, drying its resources is priority

 Damascus, SANA-Deputy Prime Minister, Foreign and Expatriates Minister Walid al-Moallem affirmed that priority now is to combat terrorism, saying that without dealing with terrorism, it is not possible to have reconstruction process succeed in Syria.

Meeting UN special envoy to Syria Staffan De Mistura and an accompanying delegation, al-Moallem said that and the will of the Syrian people would determine their future and destiny, adding  the Syrian people have elected their president and leadership, so  all should respect this.

Talks during the meeting dealt with the priority of combating terrorism, particularly the terrorism of the so-called Islamic State in Iraq and Sham and Jabhat al-Nusra in addition to all terrorist organizations, drying its resources and pressing the countries supporting it to stop the financing, arming and training terrorists and implementing the items of Security council resolution No. 2170.

Discussions also concentrated on encouraging local reconciliations and providing  suitable atmospheres for them as well as pushing dialogue among the Syrians forwards to end the crisis and restore security and stability to the country.

De Mistura, for his part, said that during the current period he has desire and will, on behalf of the UN, to do anything that could end the suffering in Syria through combating terrorism and encouraging reconciliations, therefore, the way would be paved for a political solution because it is the safest way to solve this crisis.

Deputy Foreign and Expatriates Minister Fayssal Mikdad attended the meeting.

Staffan De Mistura arrived in Damascus Tuesday in his first visit to the country since he was appointed by the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon following the resignation of former UN envoy Lakhdar Brahimi.

Mazen Eyon