General Assembly President discusses Syrian crisis with Turkish leader

General Assembly chief Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser reaffirmed the necessity of finding a peaceful solution to the ongoing crisis in Syria as he discussed the latest developments there with Turkish President Abdullah Gül.

Syria, where thousands of people have been killed as a result of the Government’s ongoing crackdown against a pro-democracy uprising, was among a wide array of issues of mutual concern discussed during their meeting yesterday in the Turkish capital, Ankara.

They also exchanged views on the two-day International Istanbul Conference on Mediation, which began today. Mr. Al-Nasser, who will be addressing the conference tomorrow, noted that the gathering paves the way for the high-level meeting that the General Assembly will be convening at United Nations Headquarters in New York on 23 May.

In addition, the Assembly President held separate talks with senior officials at the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with whom he discussed the situation in Syria, Libya and Somalia.

Mr. Al- Nasser elaborated on the theme of mediation, the revitalization of the General Assembly and the state of the world economy, as well as the upcoming UN conference on sustainable development that will be held in Brazil in June.

Following his visit to Turkey, the Assembly President will head to Geneva to address the UN Human Rights Council on Monday. He will then make official visits to the United Kingdom, where he is scheduled to deliver a lecture at Oxford University, and to Belgium, where he will meet the President of the European Council, King Albert II and other officials.