BRICS Leaders Reaffirm Commitment to Political Solution of Crisis in Syria
JOHANNESBURG, (ST)- BRICS Group leaders have reaffirmed their commitment to a political resolution of the crisis in Syria, through an inclusive “Syrian-led, Syrian-owned” political process that safeguards the state sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, in pursuance of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2254 (2015) and taking into account the result of the Congress of the Syrian National Dialogue in Sochi.
In a joint declaration following their meeting on Thursday in Johannesburg, the leaders reiterated their support for the Geneva process and the mediation offered by the UN, as well as the Astana process which has been showing signs of positive developments on the ground, and stress the complementarity between the two initiatives, according to China’s Xinhua news agency.
They also asserted their commitment to a peaceful resolution in Syria and their opposition to measures that run contrary to the UN Charter and the authority of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) and that do not contribute to advancing the political process.
They highlighted the importance of unity in the fight against terrorist organizations in Syria in full observance of the relevant UNSC Resolutions and reiterated their strong condemnation of the use of chemical weapons by any party, for any purpose and under any circumstances and renew calls for comprehensive, objective, independent, and transparent investigation of all alleged incidents.
The leaders called for enhancing efforts to provide necessary humanitarian assistance to the Syrian people, bearing in mind urgent reconstruction needs.
The leaders of BRICS expressed their concern about the situation in the Middle East and the escalating tension in this region, calling for not using force, for avoiding foreign interference and for respecting the independence, territorial integrity and sovereignty of all the region’s states.
They also called for resuming diplomatic efforts as to achieve just and comprehensive solution to the Palestinian cause and to attain peace in the Middle East based on Security Council Resolutions and Madrid conference principles.
The group’s leaders stressed that the ongoing war on Yemen and major humanitarian crisis there are also causes for further concern.
“We call for unhindered access for the provision of humanitarian assistance to all parts of Yemen and urge the international community to expeditiously provide the necessary assistance. We urge all parties to fully respect international law, to cease hostilities and to return to the UN brokered peace talks, leading to an inclusive Yemeni-led dialogue towards the achievement of a political solution to the conflict.
Recalling the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) on the Iranian nuclear program, BRICS leaders called upon all parties to fully comply with their obligations and ensure full and effective implementation of the JCPOA to promote international and regional peace and security.
They also welcomed recent developments to achieve the complete denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula and maintain peace and stability in North East Asia. They reaffirmed commitment for a peaceful, diplomatic and political solution to the situation.
The tenth summit of BRICS leaders kicked off Thursday morning in Johannesburg in South Africa with the participation of the group’s five member countries: Russia, China, South Africa, Brazil and India”.
Hamda Mustafa