DAMASCUS/ANKARA

UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen met Sunday with the leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), Ahmed al-Sharaa, to discuss recent developments in Syria.

Pedersen visited Damascus for the first time since the fall of the Bashar Assad regime to meet with al-Sharaa, according to information from Syrian government sources.

During the meeting, al-Sharaa emphasized the need to update and align UN Security Council Resolution 2254 with the current realities of the situation in Syria.

He highlighted the necessity of quick and effective cooperation to address the issues facing Syrians.

Al-Sharaa called for a focus on Syria’s territorial integrity, reconstruction and economic development.

He also stressed the importance of creating safe conditions for the voluntary return of refugees to Syria and providing economic and political support to facilitate this process.

He underlined that these steps must be carried out carefully, deliberately and under the supervision of expert teams, without rushing the processes.

*Writing by Muhammed Enes Calli in Istanbul