Arab states pledge to support Syria in transition from Assad rule

Foreign ministers meeting in Jordan outline stance before they met representatives from the West

Iraq's Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein, left, and Qatar's Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman at a meeting of foreign ministers of the Arab Contact Group on Syria in Aqaba, Jordan. AP

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Arab foreign ministers said on Saturday their countries would work with the UN to create conditions for the safe return of Syrian refugees and provide them with humanitarian support after Bashar Al Assad's regime was overthrown this month following a 13-year civil war.

They also called for the formation of an inclusive transitional governing body with Syrian consensus to move from the transitional phase to a new political system through free and fair elections supervised by the United Nations, based on a new constitution approved by Syrians.

Their position was outlined in a communique issued after a meeting on Saturday in Jordan's Red Sea city of Aqaba to discuss Syria's future. The meeting brought together representatives of the Arab League's Ministerial Contact Group on Syria, which comprises Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Lebanon and Egypt, as well as the foreign ministers of the UAE, Bahrain and Qatar.

Arab League chief Ahmed Aboul Gheit was also present. There were no Syrian representatives at the meeting. Officials from Iran and Russia, Mr Al Assad's long-time backers, were not present either.

During the meeting, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, reaffirmed the UAE's commitment to Syria’s security, stability, unity, and sovereignty. He highlighted the significance of the meeting in fostering a collective Arab, regional, and international approach to achieving a political settlement in Syria, in line with UN Security Council Resolution 2254, that meets the Syrian people's aspirations for development and a dignified life, the Wam news agency reported.

The Arab ministers also condemned Israel's incursion into the buffer zone between the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights and Syria and the countryside of Damascus after Mr Al Assad and his family fled to Russia ahead of the entry of rebel groups into the capital on December 8.

They later met with their counterparts from Turkey, the United States, the UK, Germany and France, as well the EU's foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and the UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen.

The foreign ministers of Egypt and Jordan, at a press conference, demanded that Israel pull out of a demilitarised zone along the border with Syria.

Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said: "We all stand by the side of the Syrian people and we will do all that is in our power to help them build a better future towards a stable, secure life which they have been lacking and wanting for decades.”

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, also in Aqaba, said the US has made "direct contact" with the victorious rebels.

"Today's agreement sends a unified message to the new interim authority and parties in Syria on the principles crucial to securing much needed support and recognition," Mr Blinken said.

“We know that what happens inside of Syria can have powerful consequences well beyond its borders, from mass displacement to terrorism," he told reporters Saturday in Aqaba, Jordan. "And we know that we can’t underestimate the challenges of this moment.”

The meeting in Aqaba, the first of its kind since the collapse of Mr Al Assad's regime, reflects a level of concern that the opposition forces that toppled the regime is led by a militant group that had until a few years ago been associated with Al Qaeda.

There is also the widespread fear in the Arab world and beyond that the fall of the regime in Damascus might herald the break-up of Syria along ethnic and religious lines.

Outgoing US President Joe Biden's administration has begun engaging with the victorious rebel groups including Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which led an assault that ended in the capture of Damascus last Sunday.

Mr Biden sent Mr Blinken to the region this week to seek support for principles that Washington hopes will guide Syria's political transition, such as respect for minorities.

Meanwhile, Syria's northern neighbour Turkey has for years supported Syrian opposition forces looking to oust Bashar Al Assad and is poised to play an influential role in Damascus.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Friday that his country's embassy in the Syrian capital would resume work this weekend. His announcement followed a visit by Turkey's intelligence chief.

Fellow Nato members Turkey and the United States have conflicting interests when it comes to some of the rebels. Turkish-backed rebels in northern Syria have clashed with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

The SDF, which controls some of Syria's largest oil fields, is the main ally in a US-led coalition against ISIS militants. It is spearheaded by YPG militia, a group that Ankara sees as an extension of Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militants who have fought the Turkish state for 40 years and who it outlaws.

Mr Blinken told Turkish officials during a visit to Ankara on Thursday and Friday that Islamic State must not be able to regroup, and the SDF must not be distracted from its role of securing camps holding ISIS fighters, according to a US official quoted by Reuters. Turkish leaders agreed, according to the US official.

Mr Pedersen, the UN envoy to Syria, on Saturday urged foreign powers to work to avoid a collapse of vital Syrian institutions and called for a “credible and inclusive” political process to form the next government as he met Mr Blinken in Aqaba.

“We need to make sure that state institutions do not collapse, and that we get in humanitarian assistance as quickly as possible,” Mr Pedersen said.

“If we can achieve that, perhaps there is a new opportunity for the Syrian people.”

Mr Blinken, on a Middle East tour in which he had already met the leaders of Jordan, Turkey and Iraq, has repeatedly called for an inclusive transition process that reflects Syria's diverse ethnic and religious communities.

Meeting Mr Pedersen, he said the UN “plays a critical role” in humanitarian assistance and protecting minorities in Syria.