UNITED NATIONS, December 8. /TASS/. The United Nations will work with the Syrian people on determining the country’s future, United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres said.
"The future of Syria is a matter for the Syrians to determine, and my Special Envoy [for Syria Geir Pedersen] will be working with them towards that end," he said in a statement released by his press service.
The United Nations remains "committed to helping Syrians build a country where reconciliation, justice, freedom, and prosperity are shared realities for all. This is the path to sustainable peace in Syria," he pledged.
Syria’s armed opposition units launched a large-scale offensive on government troops in the Aleppo and Idlib governorates on November 27. By December 7, Syrian President Bashar Assad’s opponents had seized several large cities, including Aleppo, Hama, Deir ez-Zor, Daraa, and Homs. On Sunday morning, they entered Damascus and government troops withdrew from the city. Following intra-Syrian talks, President Assad stepped down and fled the country.