President of the Syrian Opposition Coalition (SOC), Salem al-Meslet, sent a letter to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria, Ramtane Lamamra, expressing his regret for Algeria’s support for the Assad regime and urging Algeria to reconsider its options that contradict the sacrifices that the Algerian people made for the sake of their freedom.
Al-Meslet said that “after 60 years of Algeria’s independence, we take pride in our Algerian revolutionaries, with whom we once made a vow to die or live together, so that we may have a free and dignified life.”
Al-Meslet regrated that the official Algerian position was on the side of the Assad regime which committed mass crimes and massacres against civilians in Syria, killed and arrested hundreds of thousands, and displaced millions of Syrians. He also expressed his regret at Algeria’s ignoring of international warnings against dealing with the Assad regime and at being involved in the regime’s rehabilitation and normalization of ties with it.
Moreover, Al-Meslet pointed out that international peace and security cannot be achieved with the Assad regime in power after it has become a tool in the hands of Russia and Iran and turned into militias that live off murder, torture and drug trafficking.
He also stressed that the survival of the Assad regime in power will have dire consequences for Syria and its future and for all Arab countries. He called on Algeria to rethink its options and adhere to the positions of the Arab League and the rest of the Arab states that refused to restore relations with the Assad regime or normalize relations with it.
Al-Meslet also stressed the importance of the Arab isolation of the Assad regime and the refusal to engage in its legitimization, rehabilitation or acceptance in the Arab League, as it lacks legitimacy and does not represent Syria or its people. He stressed that readmitting the Assad regime into the Arab League will enable Iran to have its agent in Syria’s seat.
Al-Meslet stressed that the political transition in Syria is the only way out to stop the suffering of the Syrian people and ensure the unity and independence of Syria. He also stressed the importance of Algeria’s political and diplomatic role in finding a solution in Syria and pushing the international and Arab community towards the implementation of UN Security Council resolutions, especially resolutions 2118 and 2254.
Al-Meslet reiterated the SOC’s keenness on the best and distinguished fraternal relations with the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria and its permanent desire to strengthen these relations so as to serve the brotherly Syrian and Algerian peoples. He expressed the SOC’s readiness to work with all international, international and Arab efforts, especially with Algeria to advance the political process in Syria and to take decisions that serve the cause of the Syrian people, Arab and regional issues.
(Source: SOC’s Media Department)
