De Mistura Says New UN Envoy For Syria Pedersen To Take Over On January 7

Sumaira FH Published December 18, 2018 | 10:03 PM

UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura announced Tuesday that his successor, Geir Pedersen, would take office on January 7.

GENEVA (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 18th December, 2018) UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura announced Tuesday that his successor, Geir Pedersen, would take office on January 7.

"I am not planning to make any final comments because I want to make sure that my successor does not have to read through the lines of my recommendations.

He, who will be starting on January 7 here and who is in my opinion excellent, will have to feel free to follow up on what would be the best steps," he said in Geneva.

De Mistura said in October he would step down by the end of November but had to stay a bit longer. His career of four years includes mediating a way out of the seven-year Syrian war. Pedersen is a veteran diplomat who has most recently served as Norway's ambassador to China.