The final communique of the Ministerial Contact Group meeting on Syria was issued today, as follows: At the invitation of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, Ayman Safadi, and as a continuation of the meeting hosted by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia at the invitation of Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, for the foreign ministers of the GCC states, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the Republic of Iraq and the Arab Republic of Egypt, and as a follow-up to the contacts made by a number of these countries with the Syrian Arab Republic, and in accordance with the Jordanian initiative based on launching an Arab leadership role in efforts to resolve the Syrian crisis according to a step-for-step approach and the Saudi initiative and other Arab proposals, the foreign ministers of Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Egypt convened a meeting in Amman today with the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of the Syrian Arab Republic.
This meeting represents the beginning of meetings that will continue to hold talks aimed at solving the Syrian crisis, consistent with Security Council Resolution 2254, and dealing with all the consequences of the humanitarian, political, and security crisis.
The foreign ministers of Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Egypt affirmed the priority of ending the crisis and all the killing and destruction it has caused, the suffering of the Syrian people, and the negative repercussions regionally and internationally, reaffirming the need for finding a political solution that preserves Syria’s unity, solidarity and sovereignty, meets the aspirations of its people, purges it of terrorism, contributes to strengthening the appropriate conditions for the voluntary and safe repatriation of refugees, and results in the withdrawal of all illegal foreign forces from it in a way that achieves national reconciliation and restores Syria’s security, stability, wellness, and role.
The meeting reviewed the humanitarian aspect, as well as the steps needed to make progress in addressing it in a way that directly impacts the Syrian people, as well as a variety of security and political challenges. The Ministers and the Syrian Foreign Minister agreed on the agenda for the talks, which will be held following an agreed-upon timeframe and in a manner that incorporates all UN and other relevant efforts:
1- The humanitarian situation.
2- The security situation.
3- The political situation.
The Ministers also agreed on the following:
– The delivery of humanitarian and medical aid contributing to meeting the life needs of all the Syrian people who need it in all their places in Syria is a necessity. All efforts must be combined to meet it, in cooperation and coordination between the Syrian government and the relevant UN bodies, in line with the relevant UN resolutions, including resolution no. 2642 and 2672.
– The Ministers welcome the Syrian government’s resolution to open Bab Al-Salama and Al-Rai crossings for the United Nations to deliver humanitarian and medical aid after the earthquake that struck Syria in February and express their satisfaction with the Syrian government’s resolution to consider extending this resolution, in light of the importance of this in ensuring that aid reaches those in need.
– The voluntary and safe return of refugees to their country is a top priority, and all necessary steps must be taken to start implementing their return immediately.
– Enhancing cooperation between the Syrian government and countries hosting refugees, and coordinating with relevant United Nations bodies, to organize voluntary and safe returns for refugees and end their suffering, per specific procedures and a clear time frame.
– The Syrian government, in coordination with the relevant United Nations bodies, should start identifying the needs necessary to improve public services provided in the areas to which refugees are expected to return to consider providing Arab and international contributions, while clarifying the measures that the Syrian government will take to facilitate their return, including their inclusion in the general amnesty decrees.
– Intensifying cooperation with the international community and the United Nations to push for accelerating the implementation of early recovery projects, including in areas to which refugees are expected to return, leading to improving the necessary infrastructure to provide a decent life for refugees who choose to return voluntarily to Syria, including building schools and hospitals, public facilities and job creation, and contributes to stabilization.
– Taking similar steps, as appropriate, to resolve the issue of internally displaced persons, including the issue of the Rukban camp.
– Cooperation between the Syrian government and the Jordanian government, in coordination with the relevant United Nations bodies, in organizing a voluntary return process for about a thousand Syrian refugees in Jordan, so that the Syrian government guarantees the provision of the necessary conditions and requirements for their return, and so that the United Nations bodies provide their life needs, according to its approved work mechanisms, and in the context of the early recovery process stipulated in the relevant United Nations resolutions, and that this includes, at a later stage, other countries hosting Syrian refugees.
– Enhancing cooperation to advance efforts to exchange abductees and detainees and search for missing persons according to a studied approach with all parties and concerned international organizations, such as the International Committee of the Red Cross, in coordination with the Syrian government.
– Cooperation between the Syrian government, the concerned countries, and the United Nations in formulating a comprehensive strategy to enhance security and combat all forms of terrorism, and to end the presence of terrorist organizations in the Syrian territories and neutralize their ability to undermine regional and international security.
– Working to support Syria and its institutions in all legitimate efforts to extend Syria’s control over its land, impose the rule of law, end the presence of armed and terrorist groups on the Syrian territories and stop foreign interference in the Syrian domestic affairs in accordance with the provisions of the international law and the Charter of the United Nations.
– Enhancing cooperation between Syria, the neighbouring countries, and the states affected by drug trafficking and drug smuggling across the Syrian border to the neighbouring states in line with Syria’s Arab, national, and international commitments in this regard. Syria will cooperate with Jordan and Iraq to form two separate joint political/security work teams within a month. This aims to identify the sources of drugs production and smuggling in Syria and the parties that organize, manage and carry out the smuggling operations across the borders to Jordan and Iraq and to take the necessary measures to hinder those operations and put an end to this growing danger that faces the entire region.
– Agreeing on effective steps to tackle the security challenges linked to the borders’ security through establishing effective coordination mechanisms between the Syrian military and security apparatuses and their counterparts in the neighbouring states.
– Working on the resumption of the activities of the Constitutional Committee as soon as possible within the framework of the political steps aiming to achieve comprehensive national reconciliation.
– The countries participating in the meeting will work with the brotherly countries and the international community on taking positive steps in response to the positive steps taken by the Syrian government to build on what has been achieved and gradually reach a political solution.
This solution should end the suffering of the Syrian people and the disastrous repercussions of the Syrian crisis, achieve the national interests and put Syria on the path of reconstruction toward a safe future that fulfils the aspirations of the Syrian people and their rights in living in safety and dignity in their nation and restores Syria’s historical role in the region.
The ministers agreed on the formation of a technical team at the level of experts to follow up on the outcomes of this meeting and identify the coming steps within the framework of this path that aims to address the Syrian crisis and tackle all its implications.
The ministers will also communicate with the Arab and friendly countries as well as the United Nations to brief them on the outcomes of the meeting, which was agreed to be held during the consultative meeting of the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Jordan, Iraq and Egypt in Saudi Arabia on 14 April 2023.
The ministers appreciated the warm reception and hospitality of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. The foreign ministers of Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Egypt also voiced their appreciation for the positive engagement shown by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Syrian Arab Republic in discussing the initiatives and steps reviewed during the meeting. The foreign ministers called for the Syrian Arab Republic to continue its steps and measures to address all the implications of the Syrian crisis to reach a political solution that would halt these implications and end the suffering of Syria and its honourable people
Source: Saudi Press Agency