Morsi, UN chief discuss Syrian crisis

Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi has received a telephone call from UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, dealing with a number of regional issues, especially the Syrian crisis. Over the phone conversation, Ban Ki-moon praised the efforts being exerted by the Egyptian leadership in the democratic transition in Egypt as well as its endeavors on the regional level, the Egyptian presidency said in a press release. President Morsi reviewed the situation in Syria, saying that the international community should take the appropriate measures to halt the bloodshed in Syria. He emphasized Egypt's support for maintaining Syria's unity and the launching of a political process aimed at ensuring the transfer of power in Syria according to recent Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)' s call for dialogue between Syria's government and the opposition on a political transition to end nearly two years of conflict in Syria . He stressed in this context the necessity to intensify work to put an end to the crisis. For his part, the UN Chief lauded Egypt's efforts and initiatives to resolve the Syrian crisis within a political framework , stressing that the United Nations is seeking coordination with all parties to resolve this crisis and to ensure a successful Geneva 2 conference.