The Syrian Coalition reiterated that any agreement to consolidate the ceasefire must cover all Syrian territory with the exception of the areas controlled by the ISIS extremist group.
Member of the Coalition’s political committee Muwaffaq Nirabiya said that the delegation representing the armed opposition in the Astana meeting vehemently rejected any mentioning of Iran as a guarantor of an agreement in Syria. The delegation stressed that the talks in the Astana meeting must be exclusively focused on the consolidation of the ceasefire without discussing the political track.
As the Astana meeting began today, Monday, Nirabiya rejected the targeting of civilians under any pretext or justification and described it as a “war crime punishable under international law and international humanitarian law.”
Mohammad Alloush, head of the armed opposition’s delegation to the Astana meeting, said during the opening session of the meeting that the political process in Syria “must begin with the departure of Bashar al-Assad and his inner circle as well as the withdrawal of all Iranian-backed foreign militias from Syria.” Alloush added: “We did not come here to share power with Assad or to seek influence.”
Nirabiya stressed the need for sustained, unhindered humanitarian access to the besieged areas and as a prelude to the complete lifting of the sieges. He called for the inclusion of the issues of detainees and forced displacement on the agenda of the Astana meeting as violations of the ceasefire.
Nirabiya reiterated calls to withdraw all the Iranian-backed foreign militias from Syria and to designate them as terrorist groups responsible for violations and war crimes. (Source: Syrian Coalition’s Media Office)
