The Syrian Opposition Coalition’s (SOC) Department of Foreign Relations held a virtual meeting with ambassadors and representatives of friendly states to discuss the latest developments in Syria ten years after the outbreak of the Syrian revolution.
The SOC’s members, talking from the SOC’s office in the town of Azaz in rural Aleppo, included President Nasr Al-Hariri, members of the political committee and General Assembly, Head of the Syrian Interim Government (SIG) Abdurrahman Mustafa, and SIG’s ministers.
The meeting also brought together representatives of the United States, Canada, Japan, Denmark, the United Kingdom, France, Australia, Belgium, and Spain.
Al-Hariri gave an overview on the situation in Syria on the tenth anniversary of the Syrian revolution as well as the latest developments in the political process and the Constitutional Committee.
SIG’s Minister of Health Maram Al-Sheikh talked about the health conditions in the liberated areas, the number of Covid-19 infections, and the response plan to stem the pandemic.
Executive Director of the Assistance Coordination Unit (ACU) Mohammed Hassano, talked about the economic conditions in the liberated areas in light of the pandemic outbreak, as well as about the agriculture and trade sectors.
Member of the political committee, Yasser Farhan, talked about the Syrian Revolution’s Charter of Human Rights and Public Freedoms. He stressed the need for establishing an international alliance to achieve justice and accountability in Syria. He said that the alliance should include friendly governments, representatives of victims’ associations, specialized committees, and the relevant Syrian and international organizations. He also stressed the need to build an integrated strategy to prevent impunity by investing in international and national trial tracks and the UN mechanisms. He also stressed the need to save detainees by taking effective, urgent steps to ensure access for international monitoring bodies to the Assad regime’s detention centers in order to ensure an end to torture and execution.
Coordinator of the SOC’s Refugee Office Adnan Rahmoun gave a brief overview on the situation of Syrian refugees in neighboring countries and the diaspora. He also talked about the UN figures on the internal displacement movement and Syrian refugees.
Coordinator of the Caesar Act Follow-up Team, Abdul Majid Barakat, talked about the Western sanctions imposed on the Assad regime, stressing the need for the combination of efforts and ensuring that these sanctions target the regime and its symbols.
Representatives of friendly states reaffirmed their support for the Syrian people and their demands for freedom and democracy, as they indicated that they would keep sanctions on the Assad regime as part of accountability. They also reaffirmed support for political transition in Syria in line with the Geneva Communique of 2012 and UN resolutions, as they expressed support for the efforts to bring an end to the ongoing tragedy in Syria and help the Syrian people achieve their aspirations for freedom, dignity and democracy. (Source: SOC’s Media Department)