President of the Syrian Opposition Coalition (SOC), Nasr Al-Hariri, received Mr. Klemens Semtner, Senior Syria Advisor to the German Foreign Ministry and Mr. Thomas Ulbrich, responsible for Turkey’s foreign policy of the German Embassy in Ankara. The discussions focused on stemming the coronavirus in Syria as well as the latest political and on the ground developments.
The meeting brought together Co-chair of the Constitutional Committee, Hadi al-Bahra, Coordinator of the SOC’s Department of Foreign Relations Abdulahad Astepho, and member of the SOC’s political committee, Badr Jamous.
Participants in the meeting discussed the health situation in Syria, especially in the liberated areas. Al-Hariri said that no coronavirus deaths have so far been recorded in the liberated areas. He said that 30 cases have so far been recorded, among them members of the medical staff, pointing out that the Syrian Interim Government’s Ministry of Health expects that the spread of the virus will peak in August.
Al-Hariri pointed out that the health situation in the regime-held areas is getting worse, especially in Damascus and Aleppo. He stressed that the Assad regime failed to deal with the pandemic as its healthcare system is overwhelmed, adding that the regime is withholding the real numbers of cases.
Al-Hariri pointed out that citizens in the regime-held areas have lost confidence in the healthcare system, adding that there is an urgent need for food aid to help people take precautionary measures.
The two sides also discussed the political process and the invitation sent by the UN envoy to Syria, Geir Pedersen, to the Constitutional Committee to convene on August 24. They stressed the need to launch all the tracks laid out in UN resolution 2254; work in parallel; and not exclude the efforts to the work of the Constitutional Committee. They noted that this requires international support at the UN Security Council.
Al-Hariri reiterated the SOC’s support for the Syrian Negotiations Commission and the Constitutional Committee to participate in the work of the third session of the Constitutional Committee according to the agreed upon agenda. He expressed his hope for the existence of international seriousness and that there will be no further inaction, and that this round will succeed in making progress.
Participants in the meeting discussed Russia’s blocking of action by the UN Security Council. They stressed the need for a UN resolution under the ‘Uniting for Peace’ principle to put an end to the suffering of the Syrian people and help achieve their aspirations for freedom and dignity.
Al-Hariri thanked Germany for its important role at the UN Security Council and its recent contribution to the adoption of a resolution on the renewal of a mandate to deliver humanitarian aid to Syria as well as for its continued provision of humanitarian support to the Syrian people.
(Source: SOC’s Media Department)
