A Syrian opposition delegation began a visit to Washington, D.C., after a series of meetings held on the sidelines of the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly. It witnessed a formal meeting, considered the first since 2014, with the Secretary-General of the United Nations and the Special Group on the Syrian issue, along with several representatives of Western countries for Syria and the Middle East.
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Confidential sources told Syria TV that the opposition delegation, consisting of the head of the National Coalition Salem al-Meslet, and several members of the political body of the coalition, will hold a series of meetings in the U.S. capital ending next Friday.
Agenda of the visit
According to the sources, the opposition delegation held an extensive meeting with the Turkish ambassador, Hasan Murat Mercan, in Washington. The schedule of Wednesday’s meetings includes a meeting with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) (which is working to restore basic services, economic opportunities, and comprehensive governance). The meeting will be devoted to discussing mechanisms for reaching U.S. support to those in need in Syria and ensuring stability in areas outside the control of the Syrian regime, especially in the northwest of the country.
Wednesday afternoon (EDT), the opposition delegation is scheduled to hold a meeting at the US State Department to discuss developments in the Syrian issue. The meeting will be attended by Barbara A. Leaf, Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, her assistant and official in charge of the Syrian issue at the State Department, Ethan Goldrich, and a representative of the US Department of Defense.
The opposition delegation will continue its meetings in the U.S. capital on Thursday, where there will be a meeting with Emily Barnes, director of the Syria office at the National Security Council, who took office a few days ago in the White House.
The opposition delegation concludes its visit to the U.S. capital on Friday with a meeting with the Atlantic Council (an influential think tank in the field of international affairs).
This article was 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.
