Syria Ready to Cooperate with UN Chief’s Special Envoy to Make His Mission a Success

DAMASCUS, (ST)-Deputy Premier, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Walid al-Moallem has affirmed Syria’s readiness to cooperate with the UN Chief’s Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen to make his mission a success and help facilitate the intra-Syrian dialogue in order to reach a political solution to the crisis that leads to eliminating terrorism, ends the illegal presence of foreign troops in the Syrian territories and preserves Syria’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity.

 Al-Moallem was speaking during his meeting on Tuesday with Pedersen who is visiting Syria at the beginning of his mission.

Pederson, who has recently assumed his post as the United Nations’ Special Envoy for Syria, is a successor to outgoing UN envoy Staffan de Mistura, who announced his resignation earlier in October.

Al-Moallem and Pederson discussed efforts exerted so far to achieve progress in the political process to find a solution to the crisis in Syria.

Political Process Should be Syrian-led and owned

Pederson expressed happiness over visiting Damascus, pointing out that he asked to visit Syria in order to listen to the Syrian government’s viewpoint on making progress in the political process to find a solution that ends the crisis in the country.

He also reviewed the meetings and activities he will held in the coming period with the purpose of reactivating the political process, reiterating that this process must be Syrian-led and owned otherwise it won’t be a success.

He affirmed that he will spare no effort as to reach a political solution that takes the principles of the UN Charter and the Security Council resolutions relating to Syria into consideration.

He reiterated the UN’s commitment to Syria’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity.

Hamda Mustafa