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Pedersen Arrives in Damascus.. Russia Continues to Reject Geneva for Constitutional Committee Meetings
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Russia's insistence on moving Constitutional Committee meetings from Geneva reveals attempts to undermine the UN role in the Syrian political process
UN Special Envoy to Syria Geir Pedersen began his second visit to Damascus this year, coming from Jordan, to discuss the possibility of resuming Constitutional Committee meetings suspended since mid-2022.
The visit coincided with statements by Russian envoy Alexander Lavrentiev about Oman, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq's readiness to host committee meetings, amid Moscow's persistent rejection of resuming meetings in Geneva.
During his meeting with Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, Pedersen discussed ways to advance the political solution in Syria, where Safadi emphasized the need to intensify efforts to end the crisis and ensure Syria's unity and sovereignty.
The UN envoy warned in a Security Council session about risks of regional conflict spreading to Syria, noting the flow of about 425,000 people from Lebanon fleeing military escalation.
Pedersen stressed the necessity of releasing detainees and completing the Constitutional Committee's work, warning of continued civilian casualties in Syria almost daily.
The Syrian opposition's position rejecting meetings in Baghdad reveals additional complexities in the scene, with accusations against the Iraqi government of bias towards the Syrian regime.
Analysts view Russian procrastination in resuming Constitutional Committee meetings as aimed at weakening the UN role in the political process and imposing Moscow's vision for the solution in Syria.
Developments indicate increasing complications in the Syrian scene, especially with escalating regional tensions and their potential impact on the political solution path.
Experts confirm that moving Constitutional Committee meetings from Geneva might undermine the political process's neutrality, particularly amid regional and international tensions over the Syrian file.
Levant-Agencies
