Egypt, 7 countries urge halt to Syria military operations to launch ‘comprehensive political process’

CAIRO – 7 December 2024: Five Arab countries, including Egypt, as well as Türkiye, Russia and Iran issued a joint statement on Saturday, calling for an end to military operations in Syria in preparation for initiating a “comprehensive political process.”

The joint statement followed a meeting in Doha today attended by the foreign ministers of Egypt, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Iraq as well as the foreign ministers of Iran, Türkiye and representative of Russia within the Astana Process on Syria.

The diplomats call for a “comprehensive political process” based on the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2254, which was adopted unanimously in December 2015, endorsing a roadmap for a peace process in Syria.

The diplomats stressed that the halt of military operations and the launch of a comprehensive political process aim to “put an end to the military escalation that leads to the shedding of more innocent and defenseless blood and prolonging the crisis.”

They affirmed the necessity to “preserve the unity, sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Syria and to protect it from slipping into chaos and terrorism and ensure the voluntary return of refugees and the displaced.”

Moreover, the participants stressed that the continuation of the crisis in Syria represents a hazardous development for the safety of the country as well as regional and global security.

They affirmed that all parties should seek a political solution to the Syrian crisis in a way that ends military operations and protect civilians.

The diplomats stressed the necessity of enhancing joint international efforts aimed at boosting humanitarian aid heading to Syrian people, ensuring its sustainable and unimpeded access to all affected regions.

From left, UN special envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen, Egypt's FM Badr Abdelatty, Iraq's FM Fuad Hussein, Iranian FM Abbas Araghchi, and Jordan's FM Ayman Safadi attend ministerial meeting on Syria, held in Doha - Egypt's MFA

The Syrian civil war, which broke out in 2011 between Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad’s rule and insurgents but had largely subsided due to ceasefire agreement brokered by Russia and Turkey in 2020, reignited over the past days.

Insurgents caught the Syrian government forces off guard on 27 November, seizing control of Aleppo, Syria's second-largest city, as well as Hama, and reportedly advanced to Homs and Damascus.

The offensive by Syrian opposition forces and insurgents, led by Sunni Jihadi group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, has prompted retaliatory strikes by President Al-Assad's forces.

More than a decade of war in Syria around half a million people dead, forced millions more to flee their homes and disturbed regional peace. Foreign parties have interfered in the war, each supporting one side against the other.