Statement Welcoming UN Secretary General’s Announcement of an Agreement Between the Government of Syria and the Syrian Negotiations Committee to Form a Constitutional Committee
Press Statement
Morgan Ortagus, Department Spokesperson
Washington, DC
September 23, 2019
The United States welcomes UN Secretary General Guterres’ announcement that an agreement has been reached between the Government of Syria and the Syrian Negotiations Commission to form a Constitutional Committee facilitated by the United Nations in Geneva.
While much work remains to be done, this is an encouraging step toward reaching a political solution to the Syrian conflict in line with UNSCR 2254. We appreciate the work of the UN Secretary General, UN Envoy Pedersen, Turkey, Russia, and the members of the Small Group in achieving this result. We will continue to strongly support the work of UN Special Envoy Pedersen to advance the political process and all other elements as called for in UNSCR 2254. We will remain engaged with the UN and other parties to encourage all possible efforts to advance the political track.
The Assad regime must accept the will of the Syrian people to live in peace and not be threatened by targeted violence, arbitrary detention, starvation, and brutality. Vicious attacks by the Assad regime and its allies against innocent Syrians in Idlib must cease immediately for the humanitarian crisis to end and for the political process to go forward.