By Fatih Erel

GENEVA

The countries at the UN meeting on Syria on Monday called for "an immediate end" to the violence in soutwestern Syria and expressed "grave concerns" about military escalation following Russian airstrikes in the region.

"Consultations were held in the United Nations Office at Geneva with senior representatives of France, Germany, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom and the United States, on the way ahead on a Syrian-led and Syrian-owned UN-facilitated Geneva political process," the UN said in a statement on Monday.

"During the meeting, updates and exchanges were shared on the situation on the ground. Grave concerns were expressed at the ongoing military escalation in southwestern Syria and calls made for an immediate end to violence," the UN said.

Last Tuesday, Staffan de Mistura, UN special envoy to Syria had also met with senior Turkish, Russian, and Iranian officials towards the establishment of a constitutional committee for the war-battered country.