Pedersen: There is a serious opportunity to start to move forward the political process in Syria
UN special envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen announced Sunday through his visit to Damascus that there is a serious opportunity to start to move forward the political process, following talks with Europe, the US, and Arab states.
Pedersen told journalists after talks in Damascus with Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad. “I think there is a possibility now to start to explore what I call ‘a step for step’ approach, where you put on the table steps that is defined with precisions, that is verifiable, that hopefully can start to build some trust”.
“My message is that there is another possibility to start to explore possible avenues, to start to move forward on this process,” he told journalists.
Regarding the results of his visit to Damascus, he continued, “He discussed with Syrian officials the political file and the military, economic and humanitarian situation in Syria in good and deep discussions,” noting that “there are possibilities to re-launch the political track.”
He also stated that he had discussed with the Assad regime’s Foreign Minister, Faisal Miqdad, the issue of detainees, abductees and missing persons, and they also discussed the challenges related to the Constitutional Committee, noting once again that “the discussion was in-depth and good on all these issues.”
Several rounds of U.N.-brokered negotiations in Geneva since 2019 between the Assad regime and opposition aimed at forging a new constitution have so far failed.
