Egypt Daily News – Jordan has hosted an Arab and international meetings to discuss developments in the situation in Syria, with the participation of the foreign ministers of the United States, Turkey, and the European Union, in addition to the UN envoy on Syria.
The meetings discussed ways to support an inclusive Syrian-led political process to achieve a transitional process in accordance with Security Council Resolution 2254.
Jordanian sources reported that the meeting was attended by the foreign ministers of Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Lebanon, Egypt, the UAE, Bahrain and Qatar.
The administration of outgoing US President Joe Biden began dealing with armed opposition groups, including Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, which led a lightning attack that ended with the control of Damascus last Sunday.
Biden sent US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to the region on Thursday to obtain support for principles that Washington hopes to follow during the political transition in Syria, including respect for minorities.
For years, Türkiye has supported the Syrian opposition forces that sought to overthrow Assad, and is now preparing to play an influential role in Damascus. Türkiye has just re-opened it’s embassy in Damascus.
Jordan hosted Saturday’s meeting in Aqaba, and did not invite Russia and Iran, which were supporting Assad.
Blinken met with the United Nations Special Envoy to Syria, Geir Pedersen, European Union foreign policy chief Kaya Kallas, Fidan, and the foreign ministers of Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Lebanon, Egypt, the UAE, Bahrain, and Qatar. No Syrian representative participated in the meeting.
Arab foreign ministers met separately earlier and issued a statement in which they called for a peaceful and comprehensive political transition leading to elections and a new constitution for Syria. The foreign ministers affirmed that they were committed to combating terrorism, which they described as a threat to security in Syria, the region and the world.
The attendees affirmed, according to a statement issued by the meeting of the Arab Ministerial Liaison Committee on Syria, “support for a peaceful, inclusive Syrian-Syrian political transitional process, in which all Syrian political and social forces are represented and to begin implementing the steps specified by the resolution to move from the transitional phase to a new political system that meets the aspirations of the people” through free and fair elections, supervised by the United Nations.”
They also affirmed their “commitment to strengthening efforts to combat terrorism and to cooperate in combating it in light of the fact that it poses a threat to Syria and to the security of the region and the world.”
Blinken, who met with Pedersen at his hotel earlier in the day, said the time now “represents an opportunity as well as a real challenge” for Syria. Arab diplomats were seeking assurances from Türkiye that it supports a comprehensive political process that prevents the division of Syria along sectarian lines.
Türkiye and the United States, both members of NATO, have conflicting interests when it comes to some opposition factions. Türkiye-backed rebels in northern Syria clashed with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces.
The Syrian Democratic Forces, which control some of Syria’s largest oil fields, are the main ally in the US coalition against ISIS. It is led by the Kurdish People’s Protection Units, a group that Ankara considers an extension of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, which has fought against the Turkish state for 40 years and is banned by Ankara.
According to an official in the American delegation, Blinken told Turkish officials during a visit to Ankara on Thursday and Friday that ISIS must be prevented from reorganizing its ranks, and the Syrian Democratic Forces must not be distracted from their role in securing the camps where the organization’s fighters are held.
The official said that Turkish officials agreed to this.
Fidan told Turkish television on Friday that eliminating the YPG is a “strategic goal” for Turkey and urged the group’s leaders to leave Syria.
