President of the Syrian Opposition Coalition (SOC) Nasr Al-Hariri, held a virtual meeting with Estonia’s permanent representative to the United Nations, Sven Jürgenson, on the sidelines of the 75th UN General Assembly meeting.
Participants included Coordinator of the SOC’s Department of Foreign Relations, Abdulahad Asteipho, member of the General Assembly, Dima Moussa, and the SOC’s representative to the United Nations, Maryam Jalabi.
Participants discussed the latest developments in Syria as al-Hariri stressed that the Assad regime still refuses to seriously engage in the political process. He said that the SOC is counting on Estonia’s support for the cause of the Syrian people, which will contribute to reaching a political solution in accordance with UN Resolution 2254.
Al-Hariri made it clear that it is the duty of the United Nations to consolidate the ceasefire agreement in Idlib and to develop it into a nationwide ceasefire, which will force the regime to stop pursuing a bloody military solution.
He called for stepping up support for the Syrian Interim Government to be able to provide services to citizens in the liberated areas, as he stressed the need to confront the threat of terrorist organizations present in the country.
Moreover, Al-Hariri stressed that the United Nations and members of the UN Security Council must work on stripping the Assad regime of international legitimacy as it is primarily responsible for the current situation in Syria.
Al-Hariri called for adopting a resolution in the United Nations General Assembly under the Uniting for Peace principle in order to bypass the Russian veto which stands as an obstacle to political transition and accountability in Syria.
He also stressed the need to pay more attention to the issue of accountability and to refer the Assad regime’s crimes to the International Criminal Court, stressing the importance of the Dutch government’s initiative to file legal cases against the Assad regime.
Member of the political committee, Dima Moussa, talked about the course of the constitutional process as she indicated that real progress is yet to be achieved in the work of the Constitutional Committee despite the efforts being made by the United Nations and the UN envoy, Geir Pedersen, as well as the constructive proposals put forward by the delegation of the Syrian Negotiations Commission.
Moussa added that the Assad regime still refuses to seriously engage in the Committee’s work and refuses to discuss the essence of the constitutional process. She pointed out that this prevents progress in the Committee’s work and prevents reaching a political solution in Syria in accordance with UN resolution 2254.
For his part, Jürgenson expressed his country’s dissatisfaction with the international inaction towards the situation in Syria, stressing that the Assad regime’s heinous crimes are known to everyone. He indicated that Russia is trying to shield the regime from punishment through the use of the veto and propaganda campaigns. (Source: SOC’s Media Department)
