Credit: Gary Raynaldo  / Geir Pedersen, the Special Envoy for Syria, outside UN Security Council chamber press conference after closed briefing on situation in Syria May 29, 2019

By Gary Raynaldo    DIPLOMATIC  TIMES

UNITED NATIONS –    Peace remains evasive in war-torn Syria.  Nearly a decade of  deadly air strikes and terrorist attacks have left hundreds of thousands of Syrians dead and millions of others injured. Geir Pedersen, the Special Envoy for Syria, briefed the UN Security Council Wednesday. The diplomat told reporters after the closed session that only a  political solution will resolve the Middle East conflict with the active participation of the United States and Russia. 

 “Too many people have been killed already. And we need obviously to see an end to the fighting that is going on. It is, of course, legitimate to fight terrorists, but it has to be done with respect for international humanitarian law.”

-Geir Pedersen, the Special Envoy for Syria.

Diplomatic Times / Geir Pedersen, the Special Envoy for Syria,  at press conference UN world headquarters New York May 29, 2019.

It was Pedersen’s third briefing  Wednesday in the job to the UN Security Council.  In Pederson’s last briefing to the Security Council, he told members:  “External intervention poses real threats to international peace and security. Five international armies operate across Syria’s land and airspace, in tension or even in conflict, generating risks for dangerous escalation. These risks must be contained and ultimately removed”. 

U.S. And Russia Engage Talks To Resolve Syria Crisis 

Diplomatic Times / Ambassador. James Jeffrey, United States Special Representative for Syria Engagement and Special Envoy for the Global Coalition to defeat ISIL at UN world headquarters New York May 29, 2019.

“This is going to take hard decisions not only by us, but by the Russians and hard decisions most of all by the Syrian regime.”

-Ambassador. James Jeffrey, United States Special Representative for Syria.