Members of the political committee met with UN special envoy to Syria Staffan de Mistura on today’s morning in Istanbul. The two sides discussed the implementation of the Geneva statement, while the Syrian Coalition presented its point of view regarding the formation of the transitional governing body with full powers.
Members of the political committee gave their future vision of the implementation of the Geneva statement and presented the “Document of Basic Principles for a Political Settlement in Syria” which was agreed on with a number of political and military factions.
President Khoja called on the UN envoy to put pressure on the Assad regime to return to the negotiating table after the latter foiled previous international initiatives aimed at finding a political solution in Syria. Khoja welcomes the press release issued by the UN envoy’s team condemning the Assad regime’s use of barrel bombs in Aleppo.
Khoja stressed that any approach aimed at targeting ISIS only while excluding the Assad regime and its allied extremist organizations will be doomed to fail. He also stresses the need to establish safe zones in Syria as a step towards the implementation of the Geneva statement by stopping the killing, the promotion of civil governance, the provision of humanitarian aid, the return of the displaced and fighting extremism. (Source: Syrian Coalition)