Middle East: UN envoy, Syrian Foreign Minister discuss current and looming crises

Terje Roed-Larsen, the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, held talks in Damascus today on the region’s current and looming crises with Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk Shara’a.

According to a UN spokesman, the two men “reaffirmed that UN resolutions must remain the basis for all attempts to address these crises.”

During the discussions, Mr. Roed-Larsen briefed the Foreign Minister on international efforts to forge peace between Israelis and Palestinians, as embodied in the diplomatic Quartet comprised of the United States, European Union, Russian Federation and UN. “This includes concentrated work to develop a detailed roadmap, backed by broad international consensus, to bring peace to the region,” the spokesman noted.

The UN envoy emphasized that no peace can be lasting unless it is comprehensive and includes all parties to the conflict.