November 13, 2024

A delegation from the Syrian Negotiating Commission, headed by the Commission’s Chairman, Dr. Badr Jamous, held a meeting today, Wednesday, in the Belgian capital, Brussels, with the Deputy Secretary-General of the European External Action Service (EEAS), Mr. Simon Mordeau, and discussed with him a number of issues related to the Syrian issue and the political solution.

The discussion addressed the European strategy towards the Syrian issue, and the importance of its continuation, including adherence to rejecting opnormalization with the Syrian regime, maintaining the sanctions imposed on it, and refraining from reconstruction. The head of the commission also indicated that any step towards normalization with the Syrian regime carries many risks and obstructs the political transition process in accordance with Security Council Resolution No. 2254, and the necessity of not granting the Syrian regime any support on the political, diplomatic and financial levels, before it proves its commitment to a comprehensive political solution, and begins implementing international resolutions strictly and according to a specific timetable.

Dr. Jamous on the important European role in supporting the cause of the Syrian people, their freedom and their right to reach a state of citizenship and democracy, and the necessity for the European Union Council to exert all possible efforts to push the political process forward, and find binding mechanisms to proceed with it, and the necessity for the European Union’s decisions to be consistent with international resolutions, and supportive of the return to the political process under the auspices of the United Nations.

During the meeting, which was attended by the members of the Commission, Mr. Anas Al-Abdah and Mr. Ibrahim Brou, and the head of the Geneva office of the Commission, Mr. Hussein Sabbagh, the head of the Commission pointed out the unsafe return of refugees to Syria, and explained that Syria is not safe for return at all, at all security, military, political and social levels, and that the return of refugees under these circumstances will cause more displacement in the future as a result of the Syrian regime’s continued policies of violence, repression and arbitrariness.

He pointed out the necessity of maintaining sanctions on the Syrian regime, its men and supporters, as long as it refuses to proceed with the internationally agreed-upon political solution, with the necessity of focusing on mitigating the potential negative effects on civilians, while seeking to address any effects on the Syrian people as a result of the sanctions, with a focus on the necessity of increasing aid to all Syrian regions, especially northwestern Syria, which bears the burden and the largest number of displaced persons, while taking into account supporting projects to empower youth and women.