Moscow, Tehran, Ankara Reach agreement on Syria committee
The three self-appointed guarantors of the Syrian peace process – Russia, Turkey and Iran – have spurned efforts by the UN to change the composition of a committee due to write a new constitution for Syria.
The three self-appointed guarantors of the Syrian peace process – Russia, Turkey and Iran – have spurned efforts by the UN to change the composition of a committee due to write a new constitution for Syria.
The agreement on the committee’s formation was formally reached by the three countries on Tuesday in Geneva and the proposals passed to the UN special envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, for his endorsement and for consideration by the UN security council on Thursday. According to the Guardian.
The 150-strong committee, due to start work next year, could pave the way for UN-supervised elections and a possible peace process that would encourage millions of refugees to return to their homeland.
The Geneva agreement was signed off by the Turkish foreign minister, Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, and the Iranian Foreign Minister M. Javad Zarif.
Lavrov read out a brief statement after the summit, saying the three countries believed the committee could start to meet in Geneva early next year and would lead to “a viable and lasting Syrian-owned, Syrian-led, UN-facilitated political process”.
The proposed committee consists of government supporters, opposition members and a neutral group from civilian society.
