A delegation of the Syrian Coalition held meetings with ambassadors and diplomats in the Turkish capital Ankara on Tuesday. The meetings, which were organized by the Coalition’s Department of Foreign Relations, discussed the latest developments in the political process as well as the situation on the ground in Idlib province and the areas east of the Euphrates River.
The delegation met with the ambassadors of Belgium, Jordan and Egypt as well as officials in charge of the Syrian issue in the Turkish Foreign Ministry. The delegation was headed by Vice-president of the Syrian Coalition, Dima Moussa and included members of the political committee Hawas Khalil and Abdul Majid Barakat as well as member of the Department of Foreign Relations Mohammed Dughaim.
Tabled for discussions were the latest developments in the political process and the need to reinvigorate it in accordance with the Geneva Communique of 2012 and UN Security Council Resolution 2254. The discussions also included prospects for the launch of the Constitutional Committee and the need for the UN to take a firm stance towards the Assad regime’s attempts to disrupt the work of the Committee and prevent any progress in the political process. The delegation underscored the need to discuss all the baskets as was stipulated by the Geneva negotiating process.
Moreover, the delegation raised the issue of the violations being committed by the Assad regime and the Iranian-backed militias of the Idlib agreement. They warned that the continuation of these violations would negatively affect the overall situation in Syria, including putting millions of Syrians in that region at serious risk.
Members of the Syrian Coalition said that the Idlib agreement could pave the way for the establishment of a nationwide ceasefire. They called for stepping up international support for the agreement and the ratcheting up of pressure on Russia to rein in the Assad regime’s crimes and violations. Pressure needs also to be exerted on the Assad regime to force it to release detainees and disclose the fate of the forcibly disappeared persons, they said, emphasizing the importance of the issue of accountability.
The delegation also highlighted the difficult humanitarian conditions in Al-Rukban IDPs camp resulting from the blockade being imposed by the Assad regime. They urged Jordanian officials to continue to work with the relevant parties to prevent a humanitarian disaster in the camp.
For their part, the ambassadors and diplomats reaffirmed their countries’ continued support for the rights of the Syrian people to regain freedom and dignity. They stressed the need for a ceasefire and the resumption of the political process in accordance with UN Security Council resolution 2254. They added that the return of Syrian refugees must be voluntary and in a safe, neutral environment as key to achieving progress in the political process. (Source: Syrian Coalition’s Media Department)
