As the Al-Assad regime recovers more and more ground and the situation in Idlib is worrisome, the international community, meeting in Brussels on Thursday, 14 March, called for the resumption of the political process in Geneva.
"All of us must use all our leverage [...] to relaunch the Geneva negotiations and put an end to the war in Syria", said the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs, Federica Mogherini, at the opening of the ‘Brussels III’ conference.
“A solution to the Syrian crisis can only come from the intra-Syrian negotiations in Geneva, mediated by the United Nations. Through the years, and in spite of all setbacks, Geneva has always proven to be the only inclusive platform, where all Syrians can have a say”, she added, as the new UN Special Envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, attempts to relaunch negotiations.
Turkish and Jordanian foreign ministers, whose countries host millions of Syrian refugees, called for the resumption of talks. Thus, for the Jordanian Ayman Safadi, "it is important to work together in a political solution. All know what needs to be done. We just need to do more to get it done”. “The ultimate goal of the international community should be to end eight years of bloodshed and communal tragedy”, added the Turkish Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu.
The Turkish minister pointed out that his country, within the Astana process, had achieved results in terms of reducing violence and accelerating the political path. In particular, he reviewed the work in progress to create a constitutional committee. "Once a balanced and credible committee is formed, the path for constitutional reform and free and fair elections, under UN supervision, will be clear", he said.
Return of refugees not yet on the agenda
Linked to a political solution, the return of millions of refugees to Syria was also discussed.
For UN representative Mark Lowcock, efforts are needed to remove obstacles to a “voluntary, safe and dignified” return of refugees. The EU shares this view. “We want the Syrians to return to their lands and rebuild them. For this to happen, they will have to know that they will be safe, that they will not face arbitrary detention and conscription, that their properties and their liberties will be respected”, Ms. Mogherini (see EUROPE 12213/29) summarised.
About 320,000 Syrians are reported to have left Turkey to return home and just under 14,000 from Jordan have returned.
The Syrians will return when "they [will] be sure that they can put food on the table, that they are protected, safe, that there are schools to send their children to...", Mr. Safadi said. And if his country will support the return of refugees, "it will never force them to return".
Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Al-Hariri referred to the critical situation in his country, saying that it could no longer continue to cope with the reception of 1.5 million refugees. "My Government is committed to work with UNHCR in any pragmatic initiative that ensures the safe return of Syrians, including the Russian initiative", he said.
The Russian initiative aims to ensure the immediate and safe return of Syrian refugees.
"We have no other option than joining hands and work together to address obstacles and challenges facing the return", the Lebanese explained. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)