Meeting of the Minister of Foreign Affairs with the United Kingdom’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations

The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Mr. Al-Shaibani, held a meeting with Ambassador Barbara Woodward, the Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom to the United Nations and the Security Council, at the UN headquarters in New York.

During the meeting, Minister Al-Shaibani stressed the importance of supporting the Syrian community and the efforts of the Syrian government to strengthen the country’s stability after years of conflict.
He highlighted recent movements aimed at lifting the sanctions imposed on Syria, noting that these sanctions represent a heavy burden on the country at both the economic and humanitarian levels.

The Minister expressed the Syrian government’s gratitude to the British side for the positive positions it demonstrated at the recent Doha conference regarding sanctions, calling for their full and comprehensive lifting, as a step that would facilitate reconstruction efforts and achieve sustainable stability in Syria.

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Minister Al-Shaibani also stressed the need for transitional justice during the meeting, emphasizing that it must be victim-centered while reaffirming the role of the Syrian government in building national mechanisms that guarantee the rights of Syrian citizens and promote national reconciliation.
He explained that transitional justice must be part of a comprehensive political solution that ensures the voluntary return of refugees and safeguards the rights of all Syrian citizens.

From her side, Ambassador Barbara Woodward reaffirmed the United Kingdom’s support for the Syrian efforts toward achieving political and economic stability, stressing the importance of continued coordination among all international parties to drive the process of gradually lifting sanctions, aligned with the stages Syria passes through in the post-conflict period.

Ambassador Woodward also expressed Britain’s readiness to work with the United Nations and partners on supporting transitional justice efforts in Syria, stressing the necessity of a comprehensive dialogue that balances achieving justice and reconciliation.

Both sides emphasized the importance of unifying international efforts to fully lift sanctions, which would help advance the peace process in Syria and facilitate the country’s reconstruction, while focusing on enhancing human rights and social justice.

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