Communiqué of Sochi Meeting on Syria within Astana Format Affirms Syria’s Sovereignty, Independence and Territorial Integrity

SOCHI, (ST)- The final statement of the International Meeting on Syria, held within the framework of Astana format in the Russian city of Sochi, has affirmed Syria’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity and stressed the need to press ahead the fight against terrorism until all terrorist organizations, including Daesh, Jabhat al-Nusra and their affiliated groups, are completely eliminated.

The statement, issued by the three guarantor states of Astana process (Russia, Iran and Turkey), reiterated the need to help displaced Syrians return home, noting the importance of western countries’ assistance in this regard.

It also asserted the need to continue the process of political settlement of the crisis in Syria based on international resolutions.

 According to the Syrian news agency SANA, the statement added that participants in the meeting agreed to continue tripartite coordination on the situation in Syria and expressed their determination to stand against separatist agendas aimed at undermining the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria as well as the national security of neighboring countries.

“The Parties would continue joint efforts aimed at advancing the Syrian led and Syrian-owned process of the political settlement in order to create conditions to facilitate the beginning of the Constitutional Committee`s work in Geneva as soon as possible consistent with the decisions of the Congress of the Syrian National Dialogue in Sochi and the UN Security Council resolution 2254,” according to the statement.

They expressed satisfaction with useful consultations with the UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura and agreed to with him to convene next round of consultations in Geneva in September 2018.

The guarantor states called upon the international community, particularly the UN and its humanitarian agencies, to increase its assistance to Syria by sending additional humanitarian aid, facilitating humanitarian mine action, restoring basic infrastructure assets, including social and economic facilities, and preserving historical heritage.

The parties underscored the need to encourage efforts that help all Syrians to restore normal life, noting that discussions started in coordination with the international community, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the specialized international agencies in order to create necessary conditions for the safe and voluntary return of internally displaced persons and the refugees to the original places of residence in Syria.

The statement added that the parties would continue the joint efforts aimed at building confidence among all the Syrian parties and working to know about the fate of the abductees and the missing and releasing them.

The parties decided to hold the next high-level International Meeting on Syria in November 2018.

During the second day of the international meeting, the delegation of the Syrian Arab Republic, led by Dr. Bashar al-Jaafari, held another meeting with the Russian delegation led by Alexander Lavrentyev, the Russian President’s Special Envoy for Syria. The two sides continued exchanging view points on the current round of talks on political solution in Syria.

The Syrian Arab Republic delegation also held a meeting with the UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura.

Earlier, the delegations of the three guarantor countries (Russia, Iran and Turkey) held a meeting with de Mistura.

Hamda Mustafa