Syrian Coalition President Holds First Meeting with JSR Brahimi and Urges UN to Support Political Solution in Syria

Press Statement

Syrian Coalition

New York, NY

September 25, 2013

Syrian Coalition President, Ahmad Al-Jarba, met on Wednesday 25 September with the Joint Special Representative for Syria, Lakhdar Brahimi, as part of the Syrian Coalition’s official visit for the opening of the 68th session of the UN General Assembly.

In their first meeting since the election of the Syrian Coalition president, President Al-Jarba urged the Joint Special Representative to advance the negotiations regarding chemical weapons disarmament to reinvigorate the broader process of peace and transition to democracy in Syria.

“The time has come to end the conflict in Syria which Assad started and is responsible for prolonging,” said President Al-Jarba. “The people of Syria are looking to the UN to exercise its moral leadership and push for a political solution to this worsening humanitarian crisis. The Syrian Coalition has always been ready and willing to be a constructive part of that solution, and meanwhile the Assad regime continues to kill innocent civilians and commit atrocities against Syrians on a daily basis.”

In their productive discussion, the Syrian Coalition President reiterated the Coalition’s support for the UN-backed Geneva Communiqué and stressed that this should be the basis for any future Geneva II conference.

“The Syrian people remain committed to a democratic future for their country. Any future peace conference must therefore have as its goal the realization of a free, democratic, and inclusive Syria. The coalition's participation in the Geneva conference will be in the framework of consultations with other Arab counties. The conference must be based on one fundamental understanding: All parties must commit to a process of transition to democracy, including an immediate cessation of attacks on civilian populations by Assad forces, the establishment of a transitional government with full executive powers, a clear timetable, and an agreement that those responsible for war crimes against innocent civilians within the Assad regime must be held accountable and will not be a part of a future democratic Syria. The Assad regime and its allies must confirm their attendance on this basis.” stated President Al-Jarba.

President Al-Jarba thanked the Joint Special Representative for his efforts to resolve the Syrian crisis and welcomed further engagement with his office.