Arab FMs urge support for inclusive, ‘peaceful’ Syria transition

AQABA: Top diplomats from eight Arab countries, meeting in Jordan Saturday, called for a peaceful transition in Syria with UN and Arab League support following Bashar al-Assad’s ouster.

In a final statement after the talks in the Jordanian Red Sea port of Aqaba, foreign ministers from Jordan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Lebanon, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Qatar said they had agreed to “support a peaceful transition process” in Syria, “in which all political and social forces are represented”.

Anti-Assad forces, led by group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), toppled the longtime ruler on Sunday following a lightning offensive.

HTS is rooted in Al-Qaeda’s Syria branch and is designated as a “terrorist” organisation by many Western governments but has sought to moderate its rhetoric.

A transitional government installed by the rebel forces has insisted the rights of all Syrians will be protected, as will the rule of law.

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The foreign ministers, meeting in Aqaba in the presence of Arab League chief Ahmed Aboul Gheit, 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” of 2015, which set out a roadmap for a negotiated settlement.

The Arab diplomats also declared their backing for a transitional rule agreed upon by Syrians, which would enable “a political system that corresponds to the aspirations of all parts of the Syrian people, through free and fair elections overseen by the United Nations”.

They also warned against “any ethnic, sectarian or religious discrimination” and called for “justice and equality for all citizens”.

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In their statement, the ministers said state institutions must be preserved to stop Syria from “slipping into chaos”, also calling to boost joint “efforts to combat terrorism… as it poses a threat to Syria and to the security of the region and the world”.

They condemned “Israel’s incursion into the buffer zone with Syria”, demanding “the withdrawal of Israeli forces” from Syrian territory.

They also denounced Israeli air strikes on Syria, which have targeted key military assets across the country in recent days.

In addition to the Arab foreign ministers’ meeting, Jordan was also hosting US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and top EU and UN officials for talks on Syria Saturday.