Eight Arab countries pledge to support ‘peaceful transition process’ in Syria syrian war news

Arab foreign ministers in Jordan warned against any discrimination, saying Syria’s new government must be ‘inclusive’.

Top diplomats from eight Arab League countries have agreed at a meeting in Jordan to “support the peaceful transition process” in Syria following the overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad.

The foreign ministers of Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Lebanon, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Qatar issued a joint statement on Saturday after meeting in Jordan’s Red Sea port of Aqaba.

He said “all political and social forces” should be represented in the new Syrian government and warned against “any ethnic, sectarian or religious discrimination” and called for “justice and equality for all citizens.”

The statement said the political process in Syria should be supported by “the United Nations and the Arab League in accordance with the principles of Security Council resolution 2254”, a resolution in 2015 that laid out a roadmap for a negotiated solution.

Arab diplomats also attended a separate meeting in Aqaba that included US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, UN special envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen and EU foreign policy chief Kaza Kallas and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.

The meeting also called for an inclusive and representative government that respects the rights of minorities and does not offer “a base for terrorist groups,” according to Blinken, who spoke at a news conference.

“Today’s agreement sends a unified message on key principles to secure much-needed support and recognition for the new interim authority and parties in Syria,” he said.

The talks follow the fall of al-Assad following a fierce attack by opposition group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) last week.

Rebuilding institutions and building an inclusive Syria are key words from Arab diplomats that “overlap with many of the positions of other dignitaries present in Aqaba today”, said Al Jazeera’s Nour Odeh, reporting from the Jordanian capital Amman.

“No one wants to see Syria divided into several countries,” he said. “They want to see a stable Syria that can welcome millions of refugees, and they are offering political, financial and humanitarian support.”

According to their statement, the Arab ministers said that state institutions should be preserved to prevent Syria from being “plunged into chaos”, while also calling for promoting joint efforts to fight terrorism as it threatens Syria and There is a threat to the security of the area. World”

He also condemned “Israel’s incursions into the buffer zone with Syria”, its air strikes into Syria, and demanded “withdrawal of Israeli forces” from Syrian territory.

Inclusion is ‘important’

Following the removal of al-Assad, a transitional government established by rebel forces has insisted that the rights of all Syrians will be protected, as well as the rule of law.

According to Labib al-Nahhas, director of the Syrian Association for Citizens’ Dignity, which advocates for the rights of Syrian refugees, it would be fundamental for a post-al-Assad Syria to avoid past mistakes.

“The key to success at such a crucial stage is inclusivity, and not handing the country back to one party or one person because that was the origin of our problem – that was the origin of how we got here after 50 years of dictatorship.” ,” Al-Nahs told Al Jazeera.

“The behavior of the Syrian population in general, and of rebels in particular, moving into cities, even into minority areas. I think it was exemplary,” al-Nahhas said, adding that so far there have been only scattered reports of reprisals or retaliatory acts.

The director said the international community must play a role in safeguarding Syria’s integration process.