The joint delegation of the Syrian Opposition Coalition (SOC) and Syrian Negotiations Commission (SNC) to the United States met with the British Ambassador to the United States, Karen Pierce, as part of a series of meetings the delegation is conducting with the missions of friendly states and US decision-making circles.
The meeting brought together SOC’s Salem al-Meslet, SNC’s President Anas Abdah, and the SOC’s Vice-president Ruba Habboush.
The joint delegation spoke about the latest developments in Idlib and Dara’a, most notably the violations of the Assad regime and its refusal to commit to provisions of UN Resolution 2254 that must not be subjected to negotiations, and which are related to a nationwide cease-fire, and the release of detainees and forcibly disappeared persons.
The joint delegation stressed the importance of revitalizing the political process and opening all the tracks outlined in UN resolution 2254, stressing the need to seriously address the issues of detainees and accountability.
The delegation expressed serious concern that UN Resolution 2254 could be bypassed and not implemented, adding that unless there was a real international will, the Assad regime will continue to refuse to implement the resolution.
The joint delegation called on the United Kingdom to prevent attempts to normalize relations with the Assad regime, and to maintain the targeted sanctions on the Assad regime, which exclude humanitarian aid and the supplies related to the Covid-19 pandemic. They stressed the need to refuse to contribute to reconstruction unless a political transition is put in place in the country.
For her part, Pierce reaffirmed her country’s continued support for the political process in Syria in accordance with UN Resolution 2254. She attributed the difficulty of passing any resolution in the UN Security Council against the Assad regime to the Russian veto.
She stressed that Britain and Europe’s policies are consistent with regard to refusing to contribute to reconstruction before reaching a political solution, adding that the issue of detainees is a priority for the Britain and that it supports all initiatives in this regard.
(Source: SOC’s Media Department)
