Top Arab, European and international ministers and diplomats yesterday discussed steps to support the Syrian people and provide them with all assistance to rebuild the country.
Foreign Minister Dr Abdullatif Al Zayani was among the officials, who took part in the joint Arab-Western ministerial meeting in Riyadh, at the invitation of Saudi Arabia and chaired by Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan.
The meeting discussed the situation in Syria, its regional implications and support measures to safeguard Syria’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity.
Arab participants included foreign ministers from Jordan, the UAE, Bahrain as chair of the current Arab Summit, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Egypt, Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon, along with the Arab League and GCC Secretaries General.
Western participants included European Union’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, US Under-Secretary of State John Bass, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and British Foreign Secretary David Lammy, among others.
In a statement after concluding the Riyadh meetings, Prince Faisal said that “unilateral and international sanctions against Syria should be lifted as keeping them in place will obstruct the brotherly Syrian people’s ambitions to achieve development.”
Prince Faisal also noted that the attendees at the Riyadh meetings welcomed the “positive” measures that the new leadership has taken including preserving state institutions, initiating dialogue among the different Syrian sides and its commitment to combat terrorism.
The attendees also “stressed the importance of continuing humanitarian, economic support” as well as offering support to develop the Syrian state’s capabilities, maintaining stability, initiating the rebuilding process as well as establishing an environment that allows the return of the refugees and those displaced by the war, Prince Faisal said.
A statement released later in the evening reiterated his comments, while also highlighting that during the meeting “steps were discussed to support the brotherly Syrian people and provide them with all assistance and support during this important stage in its history, and to help them rebuild Syria as a unified, independent Arab state that is safe for all its citizens,” and that has no place for terrorism while its sovereignty is protected.
The officials also expressed their support for a Syrian political transitional process that involves all the various constituents.
They “expressed their concern about Israel’s incursion into the buffer zone with Syria and its neighbouring sites in Mount Hermon and the Quneitra Governorate, stressing the importance of respecting Syria’s unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity”.
European foreign ministers agreed to meet at the end of January to discuss lifting sanctions on Syria.
Kallas said that the foreign ministers would convene in Brussels on January 27 to probe how the 27-member bloc might approach the issue.
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