SYRIA: Syrian Grand Muft Hassoun i meets peace envoy Kofi Annan - announces crisis talks progress

Record ID: 280992

  • Title: SYRIA: Syrian Grand Muft Hassoun i meets peace envoy Kofi Annan - announces crisis talks progress
  • Date: 9th July 2012
  • Summary: DAMASCUS, SYRIA (JULY 9, 2012) (REUTERS) SYRIA'S GRAND MUFTI, AHMAD BADER AL-DIN HASSOUN, IN ELEVATOR PRIOR TO MEETING WITH UNITED NATIONS SPECIAL ENVOY KOFI ANNAN HASSOUN WALKING AND SAYING "WONDERFUL" (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) SYRIA'S GRAND MUFTI, AHMAD BADER AL-DIN HASSOUN,SAYING: "It was wonderful. We have reached an advanced phase to end this bloodletting in Syria. We ask
  • Embargoed: 24th July 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Syrian Arab Republic
  • Country: Syria
  • Topics: Conflict
  • Reuters ID: LVAA5JY3L7CDV276AOPCY0JY738T
  • Story Text: Syria's Grand Mufti describes a meeting with U.N. peace envoy Kofi Annan as "wonderful", saying progress towards peace had reached an advanced phase.
    Syria's Grand Mufti Ahmad Bader al-Din Hassoun said after meeting with United Nations special envoy Kofi Annan on Monday (July 9), that they had reached an advanced phase towards ending the crisis in Syria.
    He described his meeting with Annan as "wonderful".

    "We have reached an advanced phase to end this bloodletting in Syria. We asked him to continue his efforts", Hassoun said after the meeting in the Syrian capital, Damascus.
    Annan announced earlier that he had a constructive meeting with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and they had both agreed on an approach which the envoy will share with the armed opposition.
    Annan was due to head for Iran for talks with Syria's main ally in the region later on Monday.
    Syria, led by members of a sect related to Shi'ite Islam, has alleged that the Sunni-led Gulf monarchies are supporting unrest among its Sunni majority as a way to check rising Shi'ite influence in the region, most notably that of Shi'ite Iran.
    Syrian rebels have gained confidence in recent weeks, staging bolder attacks, holding pockets of territory across the country and clashing with troops only a few miles from the presidential palace in Damascus.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2012. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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