Syria Won’t Accept any Settlement that Affects its Independent Decision, National Unity- Mikdad

DAMASCUS, (ST)-Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Faysal al-Mikdad has stressed that the new Geneva process, announced by the UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura regarding a solution in Syria, should first of all engage all the regional and international parties which have exerted sincere efforts to ease the suffering of the Syrian people and should also adopt the results of the two Moscow Consultative meetings as a roadmap.

In an article published by the Lebanese “al-Binaa” newspaper yesterday, al-Mikdad said “any political process excluding Syria’s real friends, like Iran, won’t be true even if it claims keenness on defending the Syrians. And any process that aims to cancel or disrupt the results of Moscow consultations will have undesirable consequences.”

Al-Mikdad urged de Mistura to prepare well for the new Geneva consultations and to get the approval of the countries concerned in implementing the obligations of the UN resolutions; an approval that has been considered by participants of Moscow talks to be international responsibility that should precedes the process of seeking political solution.

The Syrian diplomat affirmed that “without agreement on considering terrorism as the main danger threatening Syria and without keeping in mind that the war on terrorism is the common mission of all parties in the talks and that the Syrian Arab Army is the backbone of this war, there won’t be a chance for a successful political track.”

Syria needs political solution, but it won’t accept any solution that affects its independent decision

“De Mistura’s announcement of his intention to start consultations to hold a new Geneva conference leading to a political solution to the crisis in Syria carries between its folds two facts; the first is that something had happened and restored hope in the existence of political settlement opportunities. The second is that something has necessitated that the UN should intervene to eliminate the obstacles that have been facing the track of peaceful settlement,” al-Mikdad said.

He referred to the role being played by countries like Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Qatar, Jordan and Israel, which keep supporting terrorist groups in Syria, in hindering political solution in the country. 

Al-Mikdad expressed Syria’s willingness and readiness to positively participate in all the meetings that help attain understanding or agreement on political settlement. However, he stressed that “Syria needs political solution, but it won’t accept any settlement that affects its independent decision or harms the country’s national unity.” 

Hamda Mustafa