CAIRO: Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and the UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir O. Pedersen discussed the latest developments in Syria on Sunday.
During a phone conversation, Shoukry and Pedersen discussed the results of the Arab Ministerial Liaison Committee on Syria’s first meeting, which was arranged in Cairo on 15 August, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
The committee, which was established by the Arab League, comprises the foreign ministers of Jordan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Lebanon and the Arab League chief.
The Egyptian minister emphasized the committee’s interest to reach a settlement to the Syrian issue and preserve the unity and stability of the country, Xinhua reported.
Pedersen and Shoukry agreed to arrange a bilateral meeting on the United Nations General Assembly session’s sidelines in September, the statement said.
Egypt’s Efforts to Resolve Syria Crisis Appreciated
For his part, Pedersen appreciated Cairo’s efforts for the resolution of the Syria crisis, lauding the results of the committee’s meeting.
He affirmed his intention to coordinate with the different parties concerned in order to build on what was agreed upon in the meeting.
After nearly twelve years of suspension, Syria restored its membership in the Cairo-based Arab League in May.
Syria’s Arab League membership was scrapped in late 2011 after the Syrian conflict erupted, which led a number of Arab countries to recall their envoys from Damascus, a decision that was criticized by the Syrian leadership.
