Tunisian foreign minister Kamel Morjane has confirmed to dpa that he is in talks with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon on succeeding Lakhdar Brahimi as special envoy to Syria. "The idea has been there for several weeks, but no final, official decision has been taken as yet," the 65-year-old Morjane, who met with UN officials in New York last month to discuss the role, told dpa. "The discussions are continuing between the UN Secretary General, the Security Council and the parties to the conflict," he said, adding he did not expect an immediate decision. UN diplomats said last week that Brahimi was expected to resign by the end of May. The stalled peace talks between the Syrian government and the opposition have left no other options for Brahimi, who was appointed by the UN and the Arab League in 2012, the diplomats, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said. Morjane, who has decades of experience in international diplomacy, is said to be one of several possible successors under consideration. "It's not an easy mission. The main thing is to try bring something to the table," he said. A trained lawyer, Morjane began his diplomatic career with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees in 1977. From there, he gradually rose through the ranks to become the UN Secretary General's special representative for the Democratic Republic of Congo. -- SPA 20:55 LOCAL TIME 17:55 GMT تغريد
