The leader of the Syrian Negotiation Committee, Badr Jamous, has stated that normalizing relations with the Syrian regime, in order to return it to the Arab League, without committing to a political solution, implementing UN resolutions – particularly the Geneva Communiqué and Resolution 2254 – and resuming a serious political process according to a specific timeline, “will give the regime a green light to avoid fulfilling its obligations.”
This is the first response from the opposition following the visit of the regime’s Foreign Minister, Faisal al-Mekdad, to Riyadh and his meeting with Saudi Foreign Minister, Faisal bin Farhan. Jamous has called on Arab countries to exert more pressure and engage in genuine national consultations to safeguard Syria and enable its people to live safe, dignified, and stable lives.
The leader of the Syrian Negotiation Committee also emphasized that unrestricted normalization is not in the best interest of Syrians, as it would fail to bring stability and increase the number of Syrian migrants due to a loss of hope for peaceful change.
Mekdad made a brief visit to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, after receiving an official invitation from the Kingdom’s foreign minister. Upon arrival, he was welcomed by the Saudi deputy foreign minister.
In a related development, the Saudi foreign minister and the UN envoy to Syria, Geir Pedersen, discussed the situation in Syria over a phone call. Bin Farhan reiterated “Saudi Arabia’s commitment to making all possible efforts to achieve a political resolution to the Syrian crisis that preserves Syria’s unity, security, and stability.”
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
