General Coordinator of the opposition’s High Negotiations Committee (HNC) Riad Hijab said that the political process is proceeding very slowly because of the lack of desire on the part of the Assad regime and its allies to reach a political solution and their attempt to block all roads leading to it.
Speaking during a meeting with the HNC mission in Geneva after arriving in the Swiss city on Thursday afternoon, Hijab stressed that the HNC is committed to the political process even though it is moving slowly.
“We have laid out many proposals that have been met with positive response and helped push the political process forward,” Hijab said.
In addition to the lack of seriousness on the part of the other side in the talks, the main reason behind the glacial pace of the political process is the “the lack of a decisive international will to put an end to the suffering of the Syrian people; restore stability to the region as a whole; and bring about a political transition away from those who have committed war crimes against the Syrian people.”
“We are fully engaged in the political process and see ourselves as partners in the shaping of the future of our country and maintaining the unity of Syria and its social fabric,” Hijab stressed.
Moreover, the former Syrian PM stressed that focusing on the political solution and an organized transfer of power aims to prevent “the spread of chaos, the portioning of Syria, and the establishment international spheres of influence in our country.” He went on to say that “we want our country to have a fair law, equal citizenship, and true democracy.”
Hijab stressed that the Assad regime and its allies have committed major war crimes against the Syrian people with the sole aim of “breaking their will and dissuading them from their demands for freedom and dignity.” (Source: Syrian Coalition’s Media Department + Agencies)
