The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), during its latest meeting, reaffirmed its support for the efforts of the Arab Ministerial Liaison Committee on the Syrian crisis, emphasizing the importance of adhering to the provisions of the Amman meeting held in May 2023.
In the final statement of the meeting, which concluded on Monday with the participation of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, the Council rejected “regional interference in Syria’s internal affairs” and reiterated its support for the UN’s efforts to achieve a political solution in Syria in accordance with Resolution 2254 and related UN resolutions.
The Council also expressed its hope for the resumption of the Constitutional Committee and reaffirmed its firm stance on preserving Syria’s territorial integrity, independence, and sovereignty.
The Arab Liaison Committee, established in May 2023, comprises the foreign ministers of Syria, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Lebanon, and Egypt. Its initial statement addressed several key issues, including enhancing border security, promoting cooperation between Syria, Jordan, and Iraq through the formation of joint political and security working groups to combat drug production and smuggling, and strengthening coordination between Syrian and neighbouring countries’ military and security services.
The committee also emphasized the importance of repatriating refugees, assessing the need for improving public services in return areas and mobilizing Arab and international contributions to support these efforts. It highlighted the need to work closely with the international community and the UN to accelerate early recovery projects to improve infrastructure and address the issue of internally displaced persons, including those in the Rukban camp in southern Syria.
The first meeting of the Arab Liaison Committee took place in mid-August 2023 in Cairo.
Regarding the Constitutional Committee, it is a political process established under UN Security Council Resolution 2254, based on an agreement between the Damascus government and the Syrian opposition Negotiations Commission. Announced by the UN Secretary-General on September 23, 2019, the committee’s role is to negotiate constitutional reforms. Its last meeting occurred in 2022 but was halted due to Switzerland’s stance on the Ukraine war, which led Russia to oppose holding further meetings in Geneva. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated that “Moscow can no longer consider Switzerland a neutral platform” due to its openly anti-Russian position.
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.
