Countries advocating for a peaceful transition of power in Syria may need to reconsider the designation of certain armed opposition groups that have seized control of Damascus, said Geir Pedersen, the UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Syria, in an interview with the Financial Times.
"The situation on the ground has changed significantly. Many armed groups are now involved, and 'Hayat Tahrir al-Sham' (HTS, banned in Russia) is clearly one of them. We cannot completely rule out the need to engage with them," Pedersen stated. He had earlier hinted at the possibility of delisting HTS as a terrorist organization under established protocols.
Pedersen emphasized that any potential removal of armed opposition groups from terrorist lists would depend on their behavior on the ground and their willingness to participate inclusively in the formation of a new government.
Both the US and the UK have also indicated their openness to reassessing the status of HTS, which remains on their lists of banned organizations.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
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Based on TASS materials