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Russia hopes for impartial approach of new UN special envoy for Syria

Norwegian diplomat Geir Pedersen became the new UN Special Envoy for Syria on October 31

MOSCOW, October 1. /TASS/. Moscow expects that the new UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen will have an impartial approach, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated during Thursday’s briefing.

"We expect an impartial and constructive approach from him, a contribution to Syrian regulation. We would like to hope that first and foremost, he will be guided by the best interests of the long-suffering Syrian nation," she said in response to a question by TASS.

On October 31, Norwegian diplomat Geir Pedersen was officially appointed as the United Nations Secretary General’s Special Envoy for Syria. He will replace Steffan de Mistura, who stated earlier that he planned to step down as UN Special Envoy for Syria in late November.

Pedersen, born in Oslo in 1955, served as Norway’s representative to the Palestinian Authority in 1998-2003. He also worked as Personal Representative of the UN Secretary General for Southern Lebanon and Director of the Asia and Pacific Division in the UN Department of Political Affairs.

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Syria Norway Maria Zakharova

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