Al-Mikdad holds important talks on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly’s meetings

Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Faisal Al-Mikdad and the UN Chief’s Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen held a meeting in New York on Friday during which Pedersen reviewed his efforts to facilitate holding the meetings of the 6th round of the Syrian Constitutional Committee.

Al-Mikdad reaffirmed that discussing the constitution must be a Syrian-led and a Syrian-owned process, reiterating the importance of letting the constitutional committee’s members discuss all related issues without foreign interference or imposed timetables.

The minister pointed out that the United Nations and the special envoy should assume their responsibility to guarantee respecting Syria’s sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity, which is a principle that is guaranteed by the UN Charter and the international law, especially concerning the violations of the US and Turkish occupation in Syria and their support for terrorism.

Earlier, Al-Mikdad met with the Serbian Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikola Selakovic and the Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan Jeyhun Bayramov. Talks dealt with bilateral ties and Syria’s participation in the meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) marking its 60th Foundation Anniversary. The talks affirmed the need to reactivate NAM’s work concerning the issues that constitute a priority to the movement’s members.

During his meeting with the Head of the UN General Assembly Abdulla Shahid, Al-Mikdad asserted that all countries should respect the UN Charter and the international law and not to interfere in other countries’ affairs, noting the need to mobilize international support to confront the violations committed against the UN Charter by some parties, including the imposition of coercive measures which have disastrous impacts on targeted peoples.

Also, Al-Mikdad held talks with his Mauritanian counterpart Ismael Ould Cheikh Ahmed during which the two sides discussed bilateral fraternal relations and affirmed the need to continue implementing the signed cooperation agreements.

Moreover, the historical relations between Syria and Egypt were the theme of Al-Mikdad’s meeting with his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shukri in New York on Friday   

Talks also focused on developments in Syria and the need to join all countries’ efforts to find a solution to the crisis in Syria based on respecting the country’s sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity.

The Syrian top diplomat also held meetings with the foreign ministers of Palestine, Armenia, Nicaragua and Tunisia.

Al-Mikdad, who stressed Syria’s complete support for Palestine’s full UN membership, said that the Palestinian cause will continue to be the central cause of all the Arabs.

 He affirmed Syria’s firm support for the Palestinian people’s struggle to liberate their occupied land, determine their future and establish their independent state with Al-Quds as its capital.

About recent developments in Tunisia, Al-Mikdad said that the Tunisian people and leadership will manage to surpass the current crisis in the country and restore stability.

Bilateral ties and the need to enhance coordination between Syria and each of Armenia and Nicaragua were also discussed.

Hamda Mustafa