Al-Watan learned from Arab diplomatic sources in Damascus, that the envoy of the UN Secretary-General to Syria, Geir Pedersen, received an appointment with the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Faisal al-Mekdad in Damascus to discuss the Constitutional Committee. He will arrive in Syria next Saturday to discuss the logistics and details of holding the sixth round of dialogue between Syrians in Geneva.
The sources said: Pedersen had previously requested an appointment and the date was decided for early next week.
The UN envoy’s last visit to Syria took place on February 22nd, where he was welcomed by Mekdad. During that meeting, Mekdad stressed the importance of maintaining the role of the Envoy as a neutral facilitator. He had also stressed that ever since the Committee for Discussing the Amendment of the Constitution was formed, it has become an entity in itself. This committee is also responsible for its recommendations and the mechanism used to proceed with these decisions. It also ensures that the Syrian people have the exclusive right to decide the future of their country.
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It was also pointed out during the meeting with Pedersen in Damascus that it was important to ensure that there is no outside interference in the affairs of the Constitutional Committee. All this process is carried out under the leadership and ownership of Syria and that no timetables are imposed by outsiders.
On January 29th, the Constitution Discussion Committee concluded its fifth round at the United Nations headquarters in Geneva; Pedersen announced at the time that the meetings had ended without progress, despite lengthy discussions and excellent interventions as he described them.
For his part, the head of the national delegation, Ahmed al-Kuzbari, stressed that the delegation presented ideas expressing the aspirations of Syrians and will continue to participate effectively in the coming rounds. He then pointed out that the other party was rallying around the agreed agenda, which is to discuss the basic principles in the constitution or constitutional principles. It submitted proposals contradicting this schedule and moved away from the Syrian reality.
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.
