Quartet committee on Syria kicks off in Cairo

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu (L) smiles as Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohamed Kamel Amr speaks during a news conference after a meeting regarding the Syrian crisis, in Cairo Sept 17, 2012.[Photo/Agencies]

CAIRO - The quartet committee on Syria kicked off its first meeting at the foreign ministerial level on Monday at Egypt's Foreign Ministry in Cairo, state media reported.

The meeting was attended by Egypt, Turkey and Iran for talks on the Syrian crisis. Saudi Arabia, the fourth member of the group, is not present at the meeting.

"The meeting is held in light of Egypt's moves to deal with the deterioration of the political and humanitarian situation in Syria," official news agency MENA quoted Egypt's Foreign Ministry spokesman Nazeih al-Nagary as saying.

According to a statement by the Foreign Ministry early Monday, Egypt will focus during the meeting on an immediate end to the violence, maintaining the Syrian unity and safety of its lands, and rejecting foreign military intervention and the necessity to launch a political operation by the participation of all Syrian parties to achieve the Syrian people's aspirations in democracy, freedom, and dignity in a multi-democratic system.

The committee seeks coordination with other positive participants to work out a peaceful solution to the Syrian crisis, added Nagary.