November 13, 2024

The Syrian Negotiating Commission delegation, headed by Dr. Bader Jamous, met today, Wednesday, in the Belgian capital, Brussels, with Pierre Formigier, Member of the Cabinet of the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, and discussed with him the risks related to Syrian refugees, the lack of a safe environment for their return to Syria, and the necessity of taking into account the seriousness of the Syrian conflict hotbed in all European Union strategies.

During the meeting, which included, in addition to the head of the Commission, the Commission members, Mr. Anas Al-Abdah and Mr. Ibrahim Brou, and the head of the Commission’s office in Geneva, Mr. Hussein Sabbagh, the Commission’s delegation stressed the importance of opposing any normalization or rapprochement process with the Syrian regime, pointing out that no Arab normalization attempts with the regime have achieved any noteworthy results due to the regime’s evasion of the promises it makes and its failure to change its policies that evade the political process agreed upon in accordance with international resolutions, especially the implementation of Security Council Resolution No. 2254.

The attendees stressed that the fixed basic goals of the European strategy towards the Syrian issue are the most beneficial and effective, and the necessity of adhering to them and raising the ceiling of sanctions and pressures on the Syrian regime until it submits to the implementation of international resolutions and proceeds with the political process in a tangible manner.

The head of the SNC spoke about the necessity of not granting the Syrian regime any political, diplomatic, financial or even moral support before it proves its commitment to a comprehensive political solution and strictly and completely implements international resolution 2254, indicating that it is the only means capable of restoring sustainable security and peace in Syria and ensuring the safe and dignified return of refugees to their homes and regions.

He pointed to the important and supportive European role for the cause of the Syrian people, and the necessity for the European Union to exert maximum effort to push the political process forward, and to pressure at the European and international levels, and at the Security Council level, to find mechanisms that oblige the Syrian regime to move forward with the political process.

The discussion touched on the affairs of Syrian refugees in Europe, and the need to urge the High Commissioner for Refugees to provide assistance to Syrian refugees in Lebanon and those fleeing it, and to consider increasing European humanitarian and relief aid related to infrastructure, education, youth and women’s projects in northwestern Syria, with the need to monitor any aid that reaches Syrians through the regime, and to ensure that it is not used to further suppress and crush Syrians, with the need to focus on mitigating the potential negative effects on civilians as a result of sanctions.