The Syrian Coalition’s Department of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday met with a high-level delegation from the Chinese Foreign Ministry. The two sides discussed the latest field and difficult developments and the humanitarian situation in Syria which has worsened because of the repeated military attacks by regime forces and their allies. They also discussed the Sochi conference due to be held next week.
Head of the Department, Abdul Ahad Steifo urged China to play a bigger role in the political process in Syria as both sides agreed that there would be a visit by the Coalition to the Chinese capital Beijing in the near future.
“The political process has completely stalled,” Steifo said, adding that “there is no progress in the implementation of UN resolutions that were passed on Syria due to the intransigence of the Assad regime and its refusal to engage seriously in the negotiating process.”
Steifo pointed out that the Assad regime is seeking an all-out military victory to impose its conditions as it still refuses to implement UN resolutions calling for the formation of the Transitional Government Body (TGB) whose task will be the drafting of a new constitution and the holding of elections. He stressed that this completely contravenes provisions of international resolutions that stressed that the conflict in Syria should be resolved through political means.
Steifo pointed out that the lack of progress in the negotiating process has opened the way for the convening of many conferences and meetings, adding that all attention today is focused on the upcoming Sochi conference which is sponsored by Moscow.
The Syrian opposition does not have enough information about the Sochi conference, either regarding the agenda, the invitees, or even the role of the United Nations in this conference, Steifo added.
Dima Moussa, member of the Coalition’s Department of Foreign Affairs, pointed out that no progress has yet been achieved in the humanitarian issues, which were transferred to be discussed in the Astana talks. She stressed that the ‘de-escalation zones’ agreement has suffered setbacks that may lead to total collapse of the agreement. She noted hat the Assad regime still refuses to lift sieges, allow the delivery of humanitarian aid to those in need, or release the detainees. (Source: Syrian Coalition’s Media Department)
