UN Envoy Discusses Syrian Political Deadlock with Egyptian FM

UN envoy to Syria Geir Pedersen holds talks in Cairo with Egyptian FM Shoukri. (Twitter)
UN envoy to Syria Geir Pedersen holds talks in Cairo with Egyptian FM Shoukri. (Twitter)
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UN Envoy Discusses Syrian Political Deadlock with Egyptian FM

UN envoy to Syria Geir Pedersen holds talks in Cairo with Egyptian FM Shoukri. (Twitter)
UN envoy to Syria Geir Pedersen holds talks in Cairo with Egyptian FM Shoukri. (Twitter)

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukri received in Cairo on Sunday United Nations special envoy to Syria, Geir Pedersen, who is on a tour of the region.

The two officials discussed the latest developments in the war-torn country, stressing the need to “revive the stalled political process.”

A foreign ministry spokesman said that Cairo is keen on restring the unity and stability of Syria.

A political solution, he continued, must be based on UN Security Council resolution 2254 and be implemented away from foreign meddling that undermines Syria’s stability.

These measures must coincide with efforts to combat terrorist and extremist groups in Syria, he added.

Moreover, Shoukri emphasized the need to direct greater international attention towards the humanitarian situation in several Syrian regions.

Pedersen said that he looks forward to maintaining coordination with Egypt on Syria in the future, revealed the spokesman.

The envoy later held talks with Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Abul Gheit, who called for ceasing foreign meddling in Syria.

He echoed Shoukri’s demands for reaching a political solution, said the Arab League spokesman Mahmoud Afifi.

Abul Gheit underscored to the envoy the central role his organization is playing in tackling the crisis, saying that the issue concerns first and foremost an Arab country.

Pedersen is set to travel to Lebanon on Tuesday.

Last week, the envoy had held talks with Saudi Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Assaf on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos.

On January 21, he met in Moscow with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, stressing the need to implement resolution 2254 to ensure the safe return of refugees to their homes.

Pedersen had kicked off his duties earlier this month by holding talks with Syrian officials in Damascus.



Tunisians Vote in Election, with Main Rival to Saied in Prison

A voter casts her ballot at a polling station during the presidential election in Tunis, Tunisia October 6, 2024. REUTERS/Zoubeir Souissi
A voter casts her ballot at a polling station during the presidential election in Tunis, Tunisia October 6, 2024. REUTERS/Zoubeir Souissi
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Tunisians Vote in Election, with Main Rival to Saied in Prison

A voter casts her ballot at a polling station during the presidential election in Tunis, Tunisia October 6, 2024. REUTERS/Zoubeir Souissi
A voter casts her ballot at a polling station during the presidential election in Tunis, Tunisia October 6, 2024. REUTERS/Zoubeir Souissi

Tunisians began voting on Sunday in an election in which President Kais Saied is seeking a second term, with his main rival suddenly jailed last month and the other candidate heading a minor political party.
Sunday's election pits Saied against two rivals: his former ally turned critic, Chaab Party leader Zouhair Maghzaoui, and Ayachi Zammel, who had been seen as posing a big threat to Saied until he was jailed last month.
Senior figures from the biggest parties, which largely oppose Saied, have been imprisoned on various charges over the past year and those parties have not publicly backed any of the three candidates on Sunday's ballot. Other opponents have been barred from running.
Polls close at 6 p.m. (1700 GMT) and results are expected in the next two days. Political tensions have risen since an electoral commission named by Saied disqualified three prominent candidates last month, amid protests by opposition and civil society groups. Lawmakers loyal to Saied then approved a law last week stripping the administrative court of authority over election disputes. This Court is widely seen as the country's last independent judicial body, after Saied dissolved the Supreme Judicial Council and dismissed dozens of judges in 2022.
Saied, elected in 2019, seized most powers in 2021 when he dissolved the elected parliament and rewrote the constitution, a move the opposition described as a coup.