- Title: MIDEAST-CRISIS/SYRIA-ASSAD-UN UN envoy meets Assad in Damascus
- Date: 16th June 2015
- Summary: DAMASCUS, SYRIA (JUNE 16, 2015) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF U.N. SPECIAL ENVOY STAFFAN DE MISTURA AND SYRIAN DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER FAISAL AL-MEKDAD, IN HOTEL FOR MEETING/ LEAVING DE MISTURA CONVOY OF CARS LEAVING
- Embargoed: 1st July 2015 13:00
- Keywords:
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVA8KSMVK6OE3MPEKIV6H3M8LID6
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: U.N. Special Envoy to Syria Staffan De Mistura met Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus on Tuesday (June 16).
De Mistura arrived on Monday (June 15) for a two-day visit as he continues his efforts to find common ground among all interested parties to end Syria's civil war.
The same day more than 30 people were killed in the most lethal rebel bombardment of the city of Aleppo since Syria's conflict started four years ago, a group monitoring the war said on Tuesday.
De Mistura called the shelling an indiscriminate attack on civilians but said the government should not retaliate by dropping barrel bombs on populated areas in the divided city.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad told De Mistura the world needed to recognise the threat of terrorism and prevent foreign states from arming insurgents, state media reported following their meeting on Tuesday.
The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 34 people were killed, including 12 children, and about 190 were wounded in the bombardment by rebels who are seeking control of the city.
The attack targeted a mosque where children were taking religious lessons as well as other neighbourhoods, it said.
In a statement published on Sunday (June 14), de Mistura's spokesperson said the envoy had decided to respond to a invitation by Syrian government to visit the country.
He is expected to raise with the Syrian government the issue of protecting civilians in all circumstances.
De Mistura began the talks last month, saying he expected to meet 40 or more delegations for one-on-one discussions in Geneva, including Syrian officials, opposition and civil society representatives and representatives of governments in the region and with influence in the conflict.
Diplomats said that by summoning people to Geneva, de Mistura would be in control of the process and the talks would be on neutral ground.
However, the main Syrian political opposition group refused to come to meet him, inviting him instead to meet them in Istanbul.
The four-year war has killed more than 220,000 people, injured more than one million, driven almost four million out of the country as refugees and left 12.2 million others in need of humanitarian aid, including 5.6 million children. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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