Syria’s FM tells outgoing UN envoy to ‘stay out of constitution’

Syria’s Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem told the outgoing UN envoy on Wednesday to stay out of matters concerning the country's constitution, state media reported. Moallem told UN envoy Staffan de Mistura that the constitution is a “sovereign” matter and that Damascus will not allow any foreign intervention or meddling in it, according to SANA. The two had met in Damascus, and the UN official said they had “a very intense exchange of opinions,” AP reported. De Mistura announced he would resign for personal reasons earlier this month after years of mediating peace talks that led nowhere. He said, however, that he hoped to broker an agreement on advancing a new constitution for Syria before stepping down next month. The UN envoy has been trying since February to set up a constitutional committee as a key step toward elections and a political settlement to the more than seven-year conflict.