UN: Members of the UN Security Council will draft a statement on Syria in the coming days, according to US and Russian diplomats.
The announcement came after a closed-door meeting on Monday, which discussed the rebels’ capture of the capital Damascus and the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad.
“I think the council was more or less united on the need to maintain the territorial integrity and unity of Syria, to ensure the safety of civilians, to ensure that humanitarian aid reaches the population in need, ” said Russia’s ambassador to the United Nations, Vasily Nebenzia. told reporters after the meeting of the 15-member body.
Deputy US Ambassador Robert Wood confirmed that most members had discussed the issues and told reporters that the council would work on a statement. The US is the council president for December.
“This is an incredible moment for the Syrian people,” Wood said. “Now we’re really focused on trying to see where things go. Can there be a governing authority in Syria that respects the rights and dignity of the Syrian population?”
Syria’s ambassador to the United Nations, Qusay al-Dahhak, told reporters outside the council that his missions and all Syrian embassies abroad had received instructions to continue their work and maintain state institutions during the transition period.
“Now we are waiting for a new government, but in the meantime we are continuing to work with the current government and leadership,” he said, adding that Syrian Foreign Minister Bassam Sabbagh – appointed by Assad have been – are still in Damascus.
“We are with the Syrian people. We will continue to defend and work for the Syrian people. So we will continue our work until further notice,” he told reporters outside the council.
“Syrians are looking forward to the establishment of a state of freedom, equality, rule of law, democracy, and we are looking forward to rebuilding our country, rebuilding what has been destroyed, and rebuilding a better future for Syria,” he said. Will join the effort.” .
Nebenzia and Wood both talked about how unexpected the weekend’s events in Syria were.
“Everybody was taken by surprise, everybody, including the council members. So we’ll have to wait and see and see … and figure out how the situation will develop,” Nebenzia said. ”
Russia has protected its ally Assad diplomatically during the war, on several occasions holding more than a dozen vetoes in the Security Council with China’s support. The 15-member council has been meeting several times a month on the political and humanitarian situation in Syria and the chemical weapons war.
“The situation needs to be stabilized and there should be a comprehensive political process, as well as the resurgence of terrorist forces,” Fu Kang, China’s ambassador to the United Nations, said after the council meeting.
The rebel offensive that ousted Assad was launched by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). Formerly known as the Nusra Front, it was al-Qaeda’s official wing in Syria until it severed ties in 2016. It has been approved by the United Nations Security Council.
Diplomats said there had been no talk of removing HTS from the sanctions list.