- Title: MIDEAST-CRISIS/SYRIA-UN ENVOY UN Syria envoy leaves Damascus
- Date: 24th July 2015
- Summary: DAMASCUS, SYRIA (JULY 24, 2015) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF THE UNITED NATIONS ENVOY FOR SYRIA, STAFFAN DE MISTURA, LEAVING THE HOTEL VARIOUS OF DE MISTURA GETTING INTO HIS VEHICLE VARIOUS OF DE MISTURA'S CONVOY LEAVING EXTERIORS OF SHERATON DAMASCUS HOTEL
- Embargoed: 8th August 2015 13:00
- Keywords:
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVA8EZLXPKXK0GXKNOCJG8QE4DNT
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: The United Nations envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, departed Damascus on Friday (July 24) a day after he arrived for talks with Syrian officials.
In his short visit, de Mistura held a meeting with Syria's Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem on Thursday (July 23), according to the state news agency SANA.
De Mistura began a wide-ranging consultations with dozens of interested parties in May; diplomats remain sceptical that his effort to find common ground would bring Syria any closer to ending its four year civil war.
His efforts appeared to suffer an early blow two months ago when 33 opposition armed groups rejected his invitation to come to Geneva to discuss the future of Syria.
But he met leaders of 11 of those armed groups in Istanbul earlier this month, his second meeting with their representatives, a source familiar with the talks said.
De Mistura is currently visiting Middle Eastern capitals and plans to finalise by the end of July "proposals on a way forward to support Syrian parties in their search for a political solution to the conflict", his office has said.
Syria's four-year civil war has killed close to a quarter of a million people and driven millions more from their homes in the worst global refugee crisis since World War Two. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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