The United States announced that Ethan Goldrich, Assistant Secretary of State for Near East Affairs and Special Envoy to Syria, discussed the Syrian issue in a meeting with foreign ministry representatives in both Qatar and Egypt, stressing the United States’ commitment to a political solution in Syria.
In a tweet, the U.S. Embassy in Syria said that Goldrich met yesterday in Paris with Qatar’s Assistant Foreign Minister for Regional Affairs, Mohammed bin Abdul Aziz Saleh al-Khulaifi, and affirmed the United States’ “commitment to pushing forward a political solution to the Syrian conflict, in line with Security Council Resolution 2254.”
In another tweet, the U.S. embassy said that Goldrich met with Egyptian Assistant Foreign Minister for Cabinet Affairs Mohamed Tharwat, to whom he stressed the United States’ “commitment to a lasting political solution to the Syrian crisis, which protects the rights and dignity of all Syrians.”
Earlier, Washington’s special envoy to Syria reiterated his “strong support for the efforts of Geir Pedersen, the UN Secretary-General’s special envoy to Syria, to make progress in all aspects of Security Council Resolution 2254.”
Read Also: “Syria Is A Hot Conflict, Not A Frozen One,” Pedersen
“A political solution is the only way out of the current crisis. This requires a Syrian-led and political process, backed by constructive international diplomacy, as supported by the UN special envoy,” the U.S. diplomat said.
During the UN Security Council session on Tuesday evening, U.S. Deputy Ambassador to the United Nations Richard Mills called on the Assad regime to “engage meaningfully” in the upcoming Syrian Constitutional Committee negotiations, “in line with the formula agreed to by all participants and not to obstruct the talks.” Mills stressed the committee’s position “as a mechanism for dialogue.”
Goldrich also stressed that “the Assad regime is the biggest obstacle to the political process moving forward in Syria,” stressing that Washington “has not — and will not — support any effort to normalize or rehabilitate relations with the Assad regime.”
In an interview with the newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat, Goldrich said that the United State’s position “has not changed in terms of normalization with the Assad regime. Our current sanctions against the regime have not changed. We continue to impose new and targeted sanctions, in order to clarify our commitment to human rights and the Caesar Act.”
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.
