Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry has called on the international community to help end the crisis in Syria by supporting the United Nations-backed political solution to bring about a lasting peace that can restore the conflict-torn country to its position regionally and internationally.

"The international community has a responsibility to put a swift end to the crisis in Syria by [supporting] the political solution based on Security Council resolution 2254," Shoukry said at a meeting held on Monday in Rome on the sidelines of a conference held by the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS.

Shoukry also called for supporting efforts by UN envoy to Syria Geir Pedersen to end the suffering of the Syrian people, millions of whom were forced to flee the country on the heels of the 2011 uprising against Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad, which turned into a civil war. 

The Egyptian minister also highlighted how a regional power occupied parts of Syria under the pretext of "defending allies or fighting terrorism," noting that these powers imposed demographic changes, supported extremism, exacerbated sectarian tensions, and transferred mercenaries and fighters to other conflict areas outside Syria.

Shoukry stressed the necessity of ending foreign interference in Syria in order to bring about a lasting peace across the war-torn country.

Shoukry said that solving the issue of Syrian refugees will remain elusive as long as Syria is unstable and ununified, urging the international community to keep supporting refugees and their host countries.

"It is high time to end the long suffering of the Syrians and contribute to salvaging what remains of Syria for the sake of the new generations, which have witnessed nothing but war and destruction over the past decade," he said.

Before the Syria meeting, Shoukry took part in the conference of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, reiterating Egypt’s commitment to supporting efforts to eradicate the militant group.

The Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS was formed in September 2014 to dismantle the group's networks and economic infrastructure, prevent the flow of foreign terrorist fighters across borders, and support the stability and restoration of essential public services of areas liberated from ISIS.