Brahimi briefs UN chief on Syria trip

UNITED NATIONS - UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon met Saturday with UN-Arab League joint special envoy for Syria Lakhdar Brahimi, who briefed the UN chief on his recent trip to the region, including Damascus.

During their meeting, Ban and Brahimi "focused on how to address the appalling levels of violence in Syria and how to progress toward an inclusive political solution that will address the legitimate demands of the Syrian people", said a statement issued by UN spokesperson's office.

"They agreed that the worsening crisis in Syria represents a steadily increasing threat to regional peace and security," it said.

According to the statement, the two also stressed the importance of presence of world leaders at the United Nations in the coming days as an opportunity to encourage increased support for addressing the grave humanitarian crisis in Syria and its impact on its neighboring countries.

Brahimi will brief the UN Security Council on Monday.

The new joint envoy arrived in Damascus on Sept 13 to begin his first trip to Syria in his new post, during which Brahimi met with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, government officials, diplomats, as well as opposition activists.