STORY: UN envoy expresses concerns about Syria's situation, urges for de-escalation
SHOOTING TIME: March 17, 2024
DATELINE: March 18, 2024
LENGTH: 00:02:12
LOCATION: Damascus
CATEGORY: POLITICS

SHOTLIST:
1. various of the meeting between Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad and UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen
2. various of UN vehicles entering the hotel
3. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): GEIR PEDERSEN, UN Special Envoy for Syria
4. SOUNDBITE 2 (English): GEIR PEDERSEN, UN Special Envoy for Syria
5. SOUNDBITE 3 (English): GEIR PEDERSEN, UN Special Envoy for Syria

STORYLINE:

United Nations (UN) Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen expressed concerns about the current situation in Syria during his visit to the country on Sunday, emphasizing the importance of de-escalation.

Following a meeting with Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad, Pedersen highlighted the country's challenges regarding security, economy, and the political process.

SOUNDBITE 1 (English): GEIR PEDERSEN, UN Special Envoy for Syria
"The situation in Syria now is extremely difficult. I think all indicators are pointing in the wrong direction, when it comes to the security, when it comes to the economy, and when it comes to the political process."

SOUNDBITE 2 (English): GEIR PEDERSEN, UN Special Envoy for Syria
"The problem now is that while the humanitarian needs are increasing, the fundings are decreasing. We will, as the United Nations, we will continue to work on increasing the funding, but we all know that to be able to get away from both the security challenge, the economic challenge, we need progress on the political front, and I'm afraid I have nothing new to report to you on that."

SOUNDBITE 3 (English): GEIR PEDERSEN, UN Special Envoy for Syria
"You have heard my proposal when it comes to the constitutional committee. I repeated that today to Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad. I said that as long as we don't have an agreement between the opposition and the government, we should continue to meet in Geneva and develop the constitutional committee and the work of the committee in a manner that could give hope to the Syrian people."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Damascus.
(XHTV)