Guarantor states of Astana process affirm their rejection of separatist agendas aiming at undermining Syria’s sovereignty, territorial integrity

ASTANA – The Final statement of the 20th international meeting on Syria in the Astana format on Wednesday stressed that the guarantor states renewed their firm commitment to the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of Syria and to the goals and principles of the United Nations Charter

The guarantor states also renewed their determination to continue joint action to combat terrorism in all its forms and to reject separatist agendas aimed at undermining Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, the statement said.

The guarantor states condemned the activities of terrorist organizations and armed groups under various names in Syria and reaffirm their rejection of all illegal activities to seize Syrian oil, the statement added.

The statement also condemned the repeated Israeli attacks on Syrian territory in violation of the international law and Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The statement reiterated the need to continue with the efforts to restore relations between Syria and Turkey on the basis of good neighborhood with the aim of combating terrorism.

It called on the international community, the United Nations and its humanitarian agencies to increase aid to Syria and implement early recovery projects countrywide.

The guarantor states reviewed the situation in the de-escalation zone in Idlib and agreed to exert more efforts to achieve stability and all that serve the humanitarian situation in and around the de-escalation zone in Idlib.

The guarantor states also discussed the situation in northeastern Syria, and agreed that continued security and stability in this region is achievable only on the basis of preserving Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. They also rejected all attempts that aim at creating a new reality on the ground, including the illegal self-rule initiatives under the pretext of combating terrorism. They affirmed their insistence on confronting separatist agendas that aim to undermine the unity of Syria and threaten the national security of neighboring countries.

The guarantor states expressed their deep concern over all forms of repression practiced by separatist groups against civilians in the east of the Euphrates, including the suppression of peaceful demonstrations, the imposition of conscription, and discriminatory practices in the field of education, in addition to the restrictions imposed on politicians, journalists, the right of gathering and freedom of movement.

The states reaffirmed the need to abide by the internationally recognized legal decisions, including the relevant provisions of the UN resolutions rejecting the occupation of the Syrian Golan. The first of these decisions are the UN Security Council Resolutions Nos. 242 and 297, which consider all the Israeli decisions and practices in this context as null and void and of no legal character.

The guarantor states renewed their commitment to advancing the political settlement process under a Syrian leadership and ownership, and with the facilitation of the United Nations in line with UN Security Council Resolution 2254. They also stressed the important role of the Constitutional Committee, which was established with the contribution of the guarantor countries of the Astana formula to implement the decisions of the Syrian National Dialogue Conference in Sochi. and promoting a political settlement of the crisis in Syria.

Hamda Mustafa