Russia believes that the meeting of the drafting group of the Syrian Сonstitutional Committee held in Geneva was successful and productive, the Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Thursday, opening talks with the UN Secretary-General's Special envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen.
"Dear Mr. Pedersen, colleagues, we are glad to see you again in the Russian Federation, especially since your visit comes just a few days after the generally successful conclusion of the third meeting of the drafting committee of the [Syrian] Constitutional Committee in Geneva. Not everything was resolved, and not everything was agreed on in terms of further work. But in general, as you said at the press conference following the next round in Geneva, we consider the meeting very useful and productive," he said.
Lavrov stressed that Russia, being a guarantor state of the Astana format, would continue to support efforts aimed at reaching an intra-Syrian agreement on constitutional reform. "In addition to the political process, of course, we pay close attention to what is happening on the ground, where we and our partners in the Astana format are helping the Syrian government and all Syrians to solve the problems of eradicating international terrorism on their territory, ensuring the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Syrian Arab Republic," the Minister added.
The Russian Foreign Minister also stressed the importance of a comprehensive review of the humanitarian situation in Syria, which is subject to difficulties in connection with the coronavirus, and recalled the Russian-backed call of the UN Secretary-General to abandon unilateral sanctions during the pandemic. Lavrov expressed regret that the Western partners "ignored this call."
In addition, according to him, the topic of the situation of refugees and displaced persons from Syria remains relevant. "We believe it is necessary to step up efforts to help Syrians who want to return to their homeland, especially since this will help ease the unbearable burden borne by countries hosting refugees, primarily Lebanon, Jordan, and Turkey," Lavrov concluded.
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Photo: Russian Foreign Ministry
Based on materials from TASS