UN envoy meets HTS Cheif Abu Muhammad al-Golani in Damascus

In an important move towards international recognition of the new government in Syria after the fall of 54-year old brutal regime of al Assad, UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen met Hayʼat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) Commander-in-Chief Sunday December 15, 2024 in Damascus

Monday December 16, 2024 2:23 PM, ummid.com with inputs from Agencies

Damascus: In an important move towards international recognition of the new government in Syria after the fall of 54-year old brutal regime of al Assad, UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen met Hayʼat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) Commander-in-Chief Sunday December 15, 2024 in Damascus.

Pedrson discussed with the HTS Chief Abu Muhammad al-Julani, born Ahmad al-Shara, about a smooth political transition in the country and return of refugees.

More than 6 million Syrians are living in different parts of the world as Refugees. HTS Chief al Shaara has appealed all Syrians to return to their home country. The Syrians too are enthusiastic about their return.

Government Transition

During his meeting with the UN Special Envoy to Syria, al-Sharaa underlined the importance of “swift and effective” cooperation to address Syrian citizens’ needs, restore the country’s territorial unity, and pave the way for reconstruction and economic development.

According to a statement released by local al-Watan Online news outlet, during his meeting with the UN Special Envoy, al-Sharaa stressed upon the importance of “swift and effective” cooperation to address Syrian citizens’ needs, restore the country’s territorial unity, and pave the way for reconstruction and economic development.

During the meeting, Al-Sharaa also said that UN Security Council Resolution 2254, adopted in 2015 concerning Syria’s political transition, now requires an update to reflect the current realities in the country, urging a “fresh approach” that aligns with Syria’s new leadership and evolving circumstances, Xinhua news agency reported.

He also stressed the need for “careful, deliberate steps” in rehabilitating state institutions to ensure the forming of a “strong and efficient” governance system.

Safe environment for refugees' return

Pledging to create a safe environment for the return of refugees, the HTS leader said that the measures are being implemented with “great caution” and supervised by specialised teams so as to ensure optimal outcomes for the nation’s future.

After the meeting, Pedersen said that the UN is closely monitoring the rapidly evolving situation in the country and is looking forward to the next steps toward a political transition following the ouster of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Speaking to reporters in Damascus earlier in the day, Pedersen emphasised the importance of Syrian state institutions fully resuming their functions under secure conditions.

“We are working with all segments of the Syrian people…and we want to see no acts of revenge. Instead, we must ensure that institutions return to work, backed by the necessary security measures,” he said.

Global reachout

The opposition groups in Syria on Monday December 09, 2024 announced the formation of an Interim Government led by abu-Muhammad al Bashir. The formation of the interim government in Syria was announce after al-Sharaa met the outgoing Prime Minister al-Jalali.

Meanwhile, a number of countries including France, Britain, Bahrain, and European Union are reaching out to the new government in Syria.

European Union Foreign Policy Chief Kaja Kallas Monday said she had instructed the bloc’s top diplomat for Syria to go to Damascus and make contact with the country’s new government, according to Reuters.

France has already announced to send a team of diplomats to Syria on Tuesday December 17, 2024.

Earlier, Bahrain's ruler too had earlier expressed readiness to cooperate with Syria's new government.

In a related development, the Arab Contact group on Syria met with Ministers and Representatives of the Kingdom of Bahrain, the French Republic, the Federal Republic of Germany, the State of Qatar, the Republic of Türkiye, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, United States of America, the European Union and the UN Special Envoy for Syria, Saturday to discuss recent developments in Syria.

The participants Affirmed the full support to the Syrian people at this critical point in their history to build a more hopeful, secure and peaceful future.

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