On Friday 18 November, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini and representatives of the Syrian opposition agreed that it was urgent to engage in political negotiations.
Mogherini and the Syrian opposition leaders "agreed it is urgent to end the fighting and engage in political talks focused on a genuine political transition based on relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions", the European External Action Service (EEAS) announced, after a meeting between Mogherini, the deputy High Negotiating Committee (HNC) general coordinator Yahia Kadmani, and the leaders of the HNC’s two main political coalitions – President of the National Coalition for Syrian Revolution and Opposition Forces (SOC) Anas al-Abdah and the General Coordinator of the National Coordination Body (NCB) Hassan Abdulazim. Mogherini and the Syrian leaders had a long exchange on the possible political and institutional future of Syria, on post-conflict, reconciliation and on reconstruction.
They also discussed recent developments in the Syrian crisis, the "dire" humanitarian situation and ongoing efforts to ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid to, and medical evacuations out of, Eastern Aleppo as well as to other besieged areas. Mogherini and the Syrian opposition leaders "agreed on the need for all parties to ensure full access to all those in need and to end all obstruction to the delivery of humanitarian aid", the EEAS press release stated.
Following this meeting in Brussels, Mogherini continued her outreach on the post-conflict set up in Syria, in support of UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura, with her visit to the United Arab Emirates, where she met, among others, UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan and UAE Federal National Council Speaker Amal Al Qubaisi. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)