Guarantor states of the Astana process reaffirm adherence to Syria’s sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity
Moscow (ST): The representatives of the guarantor states of the Astana process (Russia, Iran and Turkey) have reaffirmed their complete adherence to Syria’s sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity, stressing that these principles must be respected by all parties.
The statement released by the Russian Foreign Ministry on its website said, “The representatives of Russia, Iran and Turkey held a tripartite meeting on the sidelines of the fifth round of discussions of the constitution committee that was held in Geneva during the period between the 25th through the 29th of last month, as well as consultations with Syrian delegations and the UN Secretary-General’s special envoy to Syria, Geir Pederson.
The guarantor states stressed their readiness to continue support for the work of the committee through permanent cooperation with the Syrian parties and the UN Secretary-General’s special envoy to Syria as a facilitator to ensure the work of the committee in a steady and effective way.
They stressed their intention to continue their strenuous efforts in the next round of Astana talks scheduled to be held on the sixteenth and seventeenth of February in Sochi.
Last Friday Pedersen announced the conclusion of the fifth round of the constitutional debate committee meetings without making progress despite the lengthy discussions and excellent interventions, as he described, explaining that he intends to hold a number of meetings in preparation for the next round without specifying a date.
K.Q.