Egypt's foreign minister, UN envoy mull efforts to settle Syria crisis

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry met on Saturday with the UN's Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura on the sidelines of the 73rd Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, spokesman for the foreign ministry Ahmed Abu Zeid said.

The two sides discussed the recent developments in Syria and ways of reaching a political settlement and addressing the relevant humanitarian crises in the country, said Abu Zeid.

During the meeting, de Mistura briefed Shoukry on the latest political and security developments, as well as the UN efforts to cope with the current challenges.

The two sides also discussed the outcome of the recent contacts made by the UN envoy with regional and international actors.

On the situation in Idlib, Shoukry "warned that the underground corridors in Idlib could allow terrorist elements to infiltrate into other countries in the region," the spokesman added.

The foreign minister highlighted the importance of achieving a political solution in Syria, especially by forming a constitutional committee as a major step to politically settle the crisis.

Cairo is looking forward to participating in the ministerial meeting on Syria at the end of this week in New York, Shoukry said.

"Egypt will continue its efforts to ease the suffering of the Syrian people, which has been ongoing for the past eight consecutive years," he added.

The minister underlined the importance of coordinating regional and international efforts to settle the crisis without wasting more blood and time.

The statement added that Cairo supports de Mistura's efforts in achieving a comprehensive settlement for the regional crisis.