On the sidelines of the preparatory meeting for the Arab Summit in Jordan, Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry met on March 27th with the United Nations Envoy to Syria Staffan de Mistura. They discussed in detail the developments in Syria and efforts aimed at reaching a political solution to the Syrian crisis.
The Foreign Ministry Spokesperson, Counselor Ahmed Abu Zeid, stated that Minister Shoukry stressed Egypt's keenness on making the mission of the UN Envoy a success. He highlighted the Egyptian steadfast position since the beginning of the Syrian crisis, which is premised on maintaining Syria’s territorial integrity and ending the suffering of the Syrian brotherly people. In this regard, he stressed the need for concerted regional and international efforts to urge all parties to the crisis to find practical and acceptable formulas for solutions.
For his part, De Mistura expressed gratitude and appreciation for the support Egypt provides to him with regards to the Syrian crisis, adding that he is always keen to brief Egypt on the efforts exerted to reach a solution to the crisis, as a key actor in the Arab region. De Mistura reviewed the outcome of his contacts with international and regional stakeholders, and presented his assessment of the results of the recent Astana talks and the current round of the Geneva peace talks.
The Spokesperson added that De Mistura finally expressed eagerness to pursue coordination and consultation with Egypt with regards to the Syrian question, while valuing Egypt's efforts at the political and humanitarian levels, as a current member of the Security Council, seeking to alleviate the suffering of the Syrian people and putting an end to Syria’s crisis.