A delegation from the Syrian Opposition Coalition (SOC), headed by President Nasr al-Hariri, received a US delegation headed by the US Special Envoy for Syria Joel Rayburn in Istanbul on Wednesday.
The two sides discussed the latest political and on the ground developments, especially developments in the constitutional process. Al-Hariri described the meeting as “positive and straightforward.”
Al-Hariri stressed the important role of the United States in supporting the Syrian cause and the need to ratchet up pressure on the Assad regime and its backers to enforce them to engage in a political process leading to the full implementation of UN resolution 2254.
The two parties discussed the sanctions imposed by Washington against the Assad regime and its backers under the Caesar Act as they assessed the results of these sanctions, especially after the issuance of the third list of sanctions. The SOC delegation called for the inclusion of Russian and Iranian figures in the new sanctions list.
Participants discussed the reality of the political process and developments in the work of the Constitutional Committee which is currently convening in Geneva as a gateway to revitalize the political process. The SOC stressed the need to discuss the rest of the baskets in parallel, including the creation of a safe, neutral environment for a political solution.
The two sides also discussed the situation in the liberated areas, especially the Assad regime and its backers’ crimes against civilians as well as their attempts to launch a new military operation in the region. (Source: SOC’s Media Department)
