The Syrian Opposition Coalition (SOC) held a virtual meeting with envoys of friendly and sisterly states to discuss the latest field and political developments in Syria, as well as the issue of humanitarian aid.
The meeting brought together SOC’s President Salem Al-Meslet, Vice-president Abdulahad Astepho, members of the political committee, Minister of Health in the Syrian Interim Government (SIG) Maram Al-Sheikh, Director of the Assistance Coordination Unit Muhammad Hasano, and Head of the Information Unit Qassem Shobak.
The SOC exchanged views with 18 envoys from various friendly and sisterly states.
Al-Meslet reaffirmed the SOC’s commitment to a political solution, calling on friendly states to exert pressure on Russia to end the deadlock in the political process instead of seeking to normalize ties with the Assad regime and rewarding it for its crimes.
Al-Meslet called for stepping up support for health and education, especially with the onset of winter to alleviate the suffering of the IDPs and the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. He stressed the importance of supporting the Syrian Interim Government which is facing immense difficulties to meet the needs of the population in the areas of health and education.
Coordinator of the SOC’s Department of Strategic Consultation Ahmed Ramadan talked about the crimes that Iran is committing in Syria. He warned that reaching any agreement with Iran would be at the expense of the Syrian people, wondering if there were any Western assurances that the Syrian people would not be the victim of any possible nuclear deal with Iran.
Ramadan stressed that Russia cannot be considered a mediator as it intervened to support Assad and used its veto 16 times in his favor in the UN Security Council.
Secretary of the SOC’s political committee Abdul Majeed Barakat demanded that the sanctions on the regime be comprehensive and unified to prevent attempts by the regime and the individuals and institutions supporting it, including the terrorist PYD militia, from circumventing these sanctions. He gave a detailed explanation of the impact of the sanctions on the liberated areas.
Head of the National Commission for Detainees and Missing Persons, Yasser Al-Farhan, stressed the need to develop an integrated strategy to prosecute criminals and perpetrators of violations against civilians, and to open these files before the International Criminal Court.
Member of the SOC’s Department of Foreign Relations, Dima Moussa, spoke about the tragic conditions in northwestern and eastern Syria. She said: “We have a six-month deadline for extending UN Security Council Resolution 2585 on the cross-border delivery of relief aid. There is ambiguity in the requirements for reports which are being politicized in order to influence the efforts to extend the resolution, which is purely humanitarian.”
SIG’s Minister of Health, Maram Al-Sheikh, gave an overview on the health situation in the liberated areas and the need to confront the Covid-19 pandemic. He also talked about the dangerous spread of leishmaniasis in northern Syria.
Shobak talked about the health and educational situation and winter needs. He called for urging donors to provide humanitarian services and prevent any disasters, calling for more coordination amongst donors, and the development of a long-term UN response.
(Source: SOC’s Media Department)
