Communique of Ministerial Contact Group Meeting on Syria

The Arab ministerial contact group on Syria convened a meeting on Tuesday and issued the following statement:

 Upon the invitation of Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Arab Republic of Egypt Sameh Shoukry, and in implementation of Resolution 822 issued by the Arab League Council at the Summit level on May 19, 2023, the Ministers of foreign affairs of the Arab Republic of Egypt, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Republic of Iraq, and the Republic of Lebanon and the secretary-general of the Arab League held a meeting on Tuesday, August 15, 2023, with the Minister of foreign affairs and expatriates of the Syrian Arab Republic. The meeting aimed to follow up on the implementation of Amman Communique issued on May 1, 2023, and to enhance the Arab leadership role in resolving the Syrian crisis and addressing its political, security, and humanitarian implications. The meeting sought to continue the dialogue in pursuit of this goal based on a step-by-step approach and in line with U.N. Security Council Resolution 2254, which aims to preserve the unity, cohesion, and sovereignty of Syria, fulfill the aspirations of its people, eradicate terrorism, and contribute to creating appropriate conditions for the voluntary and safe return of refugees as a humanitarian priority.

 During the meeting, the contact group and the Syrian minister of foreign affairs and expatriates discussed the developments in Syria and the communications by their excellencies, the members of the committee, and the Syrian government with the United Nations and friendly countries. The communication comes under efforts to move the crisis towards a comprehensive resolution in accordance with relevant international references. The meeting emphasized the necessity of taking practical and effective steps to work on resolving the crisis gradually. Within the framework of the discussion of the full implementation of the outcomes of Amman Communique, the participants underscored that a political solution is the only formula to resolve the Syrian crisis, expressing hopes for the resumption of the constitutional path towards that goal, including holding the upcoming meeting of the Syrian Constitutional Committee in the Sultanate of Oman before the end of this year in coordination with the United Nations. Participants in the meeting also agreed on the importance of finalizing this path as among the major components of the envisioned political solution and the national reconciliation for Syria.

 Emphasizing the importance of intensified efforts to end the humanitarian suffering of the brotherly Syrian people and, according to the international community’s obligations in this regard, participants in the meeting welcomed the joint agreement between the United Nations and the Syrian Arab Republic announced on August 7, 2023, concerning the delivery of humanitarian assistance through the Bab al-Hawa Crossing for six months. They also welcomed the Syrian government’s decision to extend the opening of the Bab al-Salam and Al-Raei crossings for humanitarian assistance until November 13, 2023. Members of the Ministerial Contact Group also expressed hopes for continued and unaltered delivery of humanitarian assistance to needy segments and for more similar decisions from the Syrian government to allow the use of border crossings for humanitarian purposes. The Liaison Committee and the Syrian minister emphasized the necessity of addressing the refugee crisis along with all its implications on the Syrian people and the host countries. They underscored the importance of enhancing cooperation between the Syrian government and the refugee-hosting countries to facilitate a voluntary and safe return of refugees, thus ending their suffering.

 This should be carried out in coordination with relevant United Nations bodies, notably the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), in accordance with established procedures and guidelines in this matter. Considering it a priority, they stressed the need to act on this front. Moreover, the attendees emphasized the importance of ramping up collaboration with the international community and the United Nations to accelerate the execution of early recovery projects. They advocated for broadening the spectrum of humanitarian endeavors while laying the essential groundwork for the recovery process. In this regard, the Syrian minister indicated the procedures and provisions that Syria has put in place. He pointed out the existing collaboration and dialogue with the UNHCR, emphasizing the supportive measures that the Syrian government has provided to facilitate the Commission's activities within Syria.

 The minister stressed the government’s continuous commitment to taking and intensifying these measures, including facilitating the opening of additional offices for the UNHCR in the areas of refugee return. He added that there would also be periodic announcements about the measures being taken to facilitate refugee repatriation, including their inclusion under decrees of presidential pardons. The Syrian minister confirmed the ongoing commitment to periodically release statistics concerning the returning refugee population. He also affirmed the Syrian government's dedication to maintaining productive involvement with the Commission on refugee return matters, alongside the ongoing collaborative efforts between Syria and Jordan, in accordance with the stipulations of the Amman Statement, and coordination with UN bodies, aiming to facilitate the successful repatriation of a thousand refugees from Jordan.

 Key points underscored:

 •Offering incentives and streamlining procedures for returning refugees, while ensuring coordination with their host countries.

 •Initiating efforts to create a registration platform for refugees who wish to return, in cooperation with host nations and relevant UN bodies.

 •The Syrian government's responsibility is to provide information regarding the requirements of regions slated for refugee repatriation.

 The Liaison Committee emphasized the need to bolster efforts for the exchange of abductees and detainees, as well as locating missing individuals in cooperation with international entities like the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). In this context, the Syrian minister reiterated that his country is committed to ongoing efforts aimed at releasing all Syrian abductees and issuing periodic updates concerning the progress made, including sharing relevant information with the abductees' families and disclosing their locations whenever possible. This commitment underscores the Syrian government's obligation to fulfill its national responsibility in this matter, the Minister said.

 The participants welcomed the convening in July 2023 of the first meeting of the Jordanian-Syrian joint security committee to control borders and combat drug production and smuggling. They also welcomed the joint cooperation between the governments of Iraq and Syria in the field of drug control through the exchange of information, which resulted in August 2023 in the dismantling of an international smuggling network that was smuggling drugs in the countries of the region as well as preparing to conclude a memorandum of understanding between the two countries in this regard. The participants also expressed their aspiration for the continuation and intensification of joint cooperation between Syria and the countries of the region, in a way that serves the efforts to combat drug production and smuggling in the region to end this growing danger. Members of the Arab Ministerial Contact Committee stressed the need to support efforts to combat terrorism in Syria, the call for intensifying cooperation between the Syrian government, the concerned countries, and the United Nations, and for the international community to play an effective role in eliminating this threat in all its forms and manifestations, the call for eradicating all its sources, and supporting efforts Syria and its institutions are exerting in combating terrorism, preserving the country's sovereignty and security, ending the presence of armed and terrorist groups on the Syrian territory, and calling for the exit of all illegal foreign forces, in accordance with the provisions of international law and with the Charter of the United Nations, and preserving the security of Syria and the region.

The Contact Committee provided the minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of the Syrian Arab Republic with proposals to implement Amman Declaration. In general, the Contact Committee was briefed on the efforts made by the Syrian Arab Republic in various fields, as the Committee encourages the Syrian government to continue steps and procedures for dealing with all the consequences of the Syrian crisis, in a way that achieves the aspirations of the brotherly Syrian people to overcome the relevant challenges and move towards a better future. The participants expressed their thanks to the Arab Republic of Egypt for inviting and hosting the meeting and appreciated the positive involvement of the Syrian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants during it, who in turn expressed gratitude of the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic for the role of the Arab Contact Committee, and its commitment to work through it to restore Syria to its normal position on the Arab and international arenas within the framework of strengthening the mechanisms of joint Arab action. The participants agreed to hold the next meeting of the Contact Committee in Baghdad and to form a contact group at the level of experts to follow up and prepare for it.