President of the Syrian Opposition Coalition, Nasr Al-Hariri, held a virtual meeting with Norway’s permanent representative to the UN Security Council, Mona Juul, and discussed with her the conditions in the liberated areas, the latest developments in the political process and the Constitutional Committee.
The virtual meeting brought together Coordinator of the SOC’s Department of Foreign Relations Abdulahad Asteipho, SOC’s representative to the United Nations, Maryam Shalabi, the SOC’s representative to the United States, Qutaiba Idlbi, and SOC’s representative to the European Union Bashar Hajj Ali.
Al-Hariri talked about the dire living conditions in various Syrian regions, as he stressed that the Assad regime bears full responsibility for the continued deterioration due to its violations of the ceasefire agreements and disruption of efforts to reach political solution based on the Geneva Communique of 2012 and UN Resolution 2254.
Al-Hariri pointed out that the Assad regime continues to launch attacks and commit crimes against civilians, stressing that this clearly indicates the regime’s insistence on pursuing a military solution.
Moreover, al-Hariri gave an overview on the health conditions in the liberated areas and the Syrian Interim Government’s efforts to stem the coronavirus, calling on Norway to contribute to the efforts to secure vaccines for the population in northern Syria.
He also talked about the conditions in al-Rukban refugee camp as he stressed the need to find a permanent solution to the camp. He also touched on the conditions of Syrian refugees in Lebanon, especially the burning of a camp in Al-Minya in recent weeks.
Furthermore, al-Hariri stressed the importance of seeking the release of detainees and the disclosure of the fate of the forcibly disappeared, stressing that this issue must not be subject to negotiations or allow the regime to use it as a bargaining chip.
He stressed that the SOC’s representatives stand ready for the upcoming round of talks by the Constitutional Committee, maintaining that this track is not enough to reach a political solution in the country. He called for activating the work of the rest of the baskets in parallel with the work of the Committee.
Asteipho gave an overview on the humanitarian situation after Russia agreed on the delivery of humanitarian aid into Syria via two border crossings only instead of four, stressing the need for a one-year mandate instead of six months, opening all border crossings to humanitarian convoys, or increasing humanitarian shipments to cover all requirements and needs.
For her part, the Norwegian diplomat stressed the importance of reopening the border crossings to allow aid to reach those in need and also for reaching a political solution in Syria through the implementation of UN resolutions.
Juul indicated that her country is also seeking to ensure accountability for perpetrators of war crimes in Syria and prevent impunity. (Source: SOC’s Media Department)
