UN says to push forward nationwide cease-fire in Syria

DAMASCUS, Syria (AA) - UN special envoy to Syria, Geir Pedersen, on Monday reiterated commitment to pushing forward a nationwide cease-fire across war-torn Syria.

"We will continue to work to try to see if there is a possibly for a nationwide cease-fire," Pedersen told a press conference after his meeting with Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad in Damascus.

He also called for progress on the political front to resolve the Syrian crisis.

The UN envoy said Syria’s economic situation is "extremely difficult as close to 15 million people are in need for humanitarian assistance." He added that the UN will keep working to secure humanitarian aid to Syrians in regime-held and opposition-held areas.

Syria has been locked in a vicious civil war since early 2011, when the Bashar al-Assad regime cracked down on pro-democracy protests.

Hundreds of thousands of people have been killed and more than 10 million others displaced, according to UN estimates.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar in Ankara