Obviously, we are at a very critical moment in the region, and I think we're all following very closely what's happening in Gaza and Lebanon and my message has all the time been that we need now to make sure that we have immediately a ceasefire in Gaza, that we have a ceasefire in Lebanon, and that we avoid Syria being dragged even further into the conflict 

Question: Did you discuss about the Israeli attacks on Syria all the time?

Mr. Pedersen: Yes, we did, and we agreed that it is extremely critical that we de-escalate so that Syria is not further dragged into this. And obviously this requires movement from the international community when it comes to the situation in Gaza as I said, in Lebanon, and in Syria. And you also have seen now increased nervousness in Iraq when it comes to development. So, as I said we are at a very critical point. So, I will continue to call for immediate de-escalation.

But then of course we also know that there are many other issues that we need to address. And I said that we need to continue to try to look for confidence building measures. We are now in a situation where more than 400,000 Syrians have returned from Lebanon to Syria. This places a heavy responsibility on the government and the international community. We need to see that the government continues to do what it has done well so far and to provide protection and security for those who are returning, and we need to see that the international community lives up to its responsibility and increase its funding to Syria in this very critical situation. 

But then we also need not to lose the bigger picture, and the bigger picture is that Syria needs to return to stability, and to achieve that we need to address in a comprehensive manner all the issues that need to be addressed. So obviously, we need to address the political situation, the security situation, the restoration of Syria’s sovereignty and independence.  

We need to address the issues of the economy, the sanctions, and of reconstruction, the file of the detainees, and as I said the file of the refugees. And all of these issues as you know are indeed interlinked. 

And the first thing we could start with when it comes to the political process is of course to resume the work of the Constitutional Committee. So, I will continue to discuss that with the government and of course also with the opposition, the SNC.

Question: Inaudible

Mr. Pedersen No, we have not concluded that but we have discussed some new ideas and I hope we can have some positive news in the not too distant future. 

Thank you so much, good to see you

Damascus, 24 November 2024