Incoming UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres says the crisis in Syria "has become a cancer on a global scale."
Guterres made the remarks during an interview with Portugal's SIC television channel on Wednesday.
He also expressed hope that the US and Russia would solve their differences on how the conflict should end.
Washington and its Western allies support the anti-government militancy in Syria, while Russia supports Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
The former Portuguese prime minister also noted that the conflict has caused "not only the suffering of the Syrian people" but also ignites "violent reactions which in some cases lead to terrorist acts."
He also referred to the war as a "global threat," which he said cannot end unless the international community finds a way to settle it.
Russia, Turkey agree on Syria ceasefire
Meanwhile, Russia and Turkey have agreed on a nationwide ceasefire plan between the Syrian government and the armed opposition groups, said Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu.
"There are two texts ready on a solution in Syria. One is about a political resolution and the other is about a ceasefire. They can be implemented any time," he said.
According to Turkey’s Anadolu news agency, the ceasefire was planned to take effect at midnight local time on Wednesday.
The truce has been confirmed by a source in Russia’s Foreign Ministry, but Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov refrained from commenting on its implementation.
“I cannot answer this question now, I do not have sufficient information right now,” he said in response to a question on the ceasefire, despite stressing that Moscow and Ankara were in “constant” discussion over the matter.
Since March 2011, Syria has been gripped by deadly militancy it blames on some Western states and their regional allies.
The so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and United Nations Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura have put the death toll from the conflict at more than 300,000 and 400,000, respectively. This is while the UN has stopped its official casualty count in Syria, citing its inability to verify the figures it receives from various sources.
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