Diplomats from the United States, Turkey, the European Union and Arab countries agreed that the new government in Syria must respect the rights of minorities, said American Secretary of State Antony Blinken this Saturday (14), after talks in Jordan and direct contacts with the rebels who overthrew President Bashar al-Assad.
The meetings were held as regional and global powers vie for influence over the government that will replace Assad, who was forced to flee a week ago.
Blinken said at a news conference that the group agreed to a joint statement that also calls for an inclusive and representative government that respects the rights of minorities and does not provide “a base for terrorist groups.”
“Today’s agreement sends a unified message to the new interim authority and parties involved in Syria about the crucial principles for securing much-needed support and recognition,” Blinken said.
He also said that US authorities now have “direct contact” with the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group and called on them and other rebel groups to help locate US journalist Austin Tice, who was arrested in Syria in 2012. Washington also shared with actors in Syria what they want to see from the country’s transition, he added.
Jordan, Syria’s neighbor, hosted the meeting this Saturday (14) in Aqaba. Russia and Iran, who were key supporters of Assad, were not invited.
Blinken, UN special envoy for Syria Geir Pederson, European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and the foreign ministers of Turkey, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Qatar met at a round table in the Jordanian government’s guest house. There was no Syrian representative at the table.
Arab diplomats had met separately and issued a statement calling for a peaceful and inclusive political transition leading to elections and a new constitution.
Arab diplomats who took part in the talks told Reuters they are seeking assurances that Turkey supports this and also to avoid dividing Syria along sectarian lines.
Turkey and the United States, both NATO members, have conflicting interests over some of the rebels. Turkish-backed insurgents in northern Syria have clashed with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces.
The forces, which control some of Syria’s biggest oil fields, are a key ally in an American coalition against Islamic State militants. They are led by the YPG militia, a group that Ankara considers to be an extension of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, militants who have been fighting against the Turkish state for 40 years and who have been marginalized by it.
Blinken told Turkish officials during a visit to Ankara on Thursday (12) and Friday (13) that the Islamic State may not be able to regroup, and that the Syrian Democratic Forces cannot be distracted from its role in protecting camps holding Islamic State fighters, according to a US official. Turkish leaders agreed, the US delegation official said.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan had told Turkish TV on Friday (13) that the elimination of the YPG is Turkey’s “strategic objective” and called on the group’s commanders to leave Syria.
This content was originally published in Diplomats call for respect for minorities in Syria after Assad, says Blinken on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
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