September 26, 2024

The President of the Syrian Negotiation Commission, Dr. Badr Jamous, discussed in New York with the U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Levant and Syria Engagement in the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, Ms. Natasha Franceschi, ways to exert pressure in the United Nations General Assembly to move the political file forward and find binding mechanisms for the implementation of international resolutions related to the Syrian issue.

During the meeting held yesterday, Wednesday, Dr. Badr Jamous reaffirmed the Commission’s full commitment to and respect for the implementation of international resolutions, particularly the Geneva Communique and UN Resolutions 2254 and 2118. He expressed the Commission’s readiness to negotiate based on these resolutions to achieve a clear and comprehensive political change that meets the legitimate aspirations and demands of the Syrian people. He also conveyed his belief that the Syrian regime continues to evade the implementation of these resolutions as long as there are no mechanisms compelling it to comply and advance the political change process outlined in these resolutions.

He discussed with the U.S. official the necessity for all influential countries to support a political solution to the Syrian issue in the UN General Assembly and to exert collective pressure to find binding mechanisms to advance this file, which has been agreed upon by all parties, including major powers.

The conversation also covered the importance of supporting Syrians in all humanitarian aspects and continuing to provide the maximum possible assistance to help them overcome the dire conditions caused by the Syrian regime’s war and violence, taking into account the health, educational, and relief needs of the displaced and refugees in particular.

He touched on the issue of detainees and forcibly disappeared persons, emphasizing that it is a non-negotiable file that the regime must comply with. He called on influential countries to use all means of pressure to secure the release of detainees in the Syrian regime’s prisons and security branches and to reveal the fate of a large number of forcibly disappeared persons in its detention centers.

For her part, Ms. Franceschi reaffirmed the United States’ continuous support for a political solution in accordance with UN Resolution 2254, considering it the only path that can guarantee sustainable security and stability and end the war. She noted that the United States does not support normalization, nor will it discuss reconstruction or lift sanctions unless the Syrian regime takes clear and tangible steps towards a political solution.