ADVERTISEMENTTop diplomats from the US, the Arab League and Turkey met in Jordan to discuss plans and goals to assist Syria’s transition from the deposed government of Bashar al-Assad.
Some 12 foreign ministers as well as senior officials from the EU and UN on Saturday gathered in the Jordanian city of Aqaba in an attempt to forge a consensus on what new leadership in Syria should prioritize.
However, no Syrian representatives were set to attend.
US Secretary-of-State Antony Blinken said broad consensus exists among regional partners that Syria’s new government must be inclusive, must respect women and minority rights, reject terrorism and secure and destroy suspected Assad-era chemical weapon stockpiles.
Blinken is on a three-country regional tour in the Middle East, having visited Turkey, Iraq and Jordan once already this week. He met with Iraq's Prime Minister on Friday.
In a meeting with UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen, Blinken said he expected to talk about the challenges ahead for Syria and “our determination to work together to support a Syrian-led transition where the United Nations plays a critical role, particularly when it comes to the provision of assistance, to the protection of minorities.”
Pedersen agreed, saying: “What is so critical in Syria is that we see a credible and inclusive political process that brings together all communities in Syria.”
“The second point is that we need to make sure that state institutions do not collapse, and that we get in humanitarian assistance as quickly as possible. And if we can achieve that, perhaps there is a new opportunity for the Syrian people.”
The collapse of the al-Assad family’s decades-long rule last week sparked renewed fears of instability and turmoil in an already volatile region.
The area is immersed in the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza and hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon despite a tenuous ceasefire.