President of the Syrian Coalition Riad Seif participated in a meeting with European donor countries at the headquarters of the Syrian Interim Government (SIG) in Gaziantep, southern Turkey on Thursday.
SIG’s Head Jawad Abu Hatab, SIG’s ministers, heads of local councils, and head of Assistance Coordination Unit (ACU) participated in the meeting.
The aim of the meeting was to coordinate efforts with SIG on existing programs and to develop new programs that are consistent with SIG’s goals to provide essential services to the civilian population as well as restore security and stability to the liberated areas.
Abu Hatab and his deputies gave an overview of SIG’s work in the liberated areas and its services projects. They called for stepping up support for the SIG’s work on the ground to restore institutions as well as develop services and investment projects with the aim of providing services to the Syrian civilians, preventing the fragmentation of the Syrian territory, and restoring stability to the liberated areas.
They also called for supporting SIG’s efforts to establish a professional, institutional, and legal system. Moreover, they stressed the need to append the capabilities of the local councils within the legal framework of the state and in line with the SIG’s internal regulations.
Speaking via a video link from besieged eastern Ghouta, SIG’s Deputy-Head Akram Tomeh gave an overview of SIG’s work in southern Syria and eastern Ghouta as he highlighted the challenges facing it, especially the tightened siege and the intensifying military campaigns by the Assad regime and its sectarian militias on the area.
SIG prioritizes the meeting of the needs of civilians in the liberated areas in the areas of health, services, food and education. (Source: Syrian Coalition’s Media Department)