Greece, a country of the wider region with traditional ties and affinity with the Syrian people, is here today at the invitation of UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, to support and encourage the two sides to move ahead on the path to peace.
The decision of Damascus and of the Syrian opposition coalition to participate in “Geneva II” is a clear indication that they fully understand the magnitude of what is at stake for their country and for the Syrian people
We welcome their decision to be here, and we call upon them to show a genuine spirit of constructiveness and flexibility in the negotiations, for the sake of their own country and for the benefit of the Syrian people and future generations.
The international community, including Greece, is ready to support Syria in its efforts to get back on its feet and to rebuild, following a successful outcome of the “Geneva II” transition process.
Today’s launching of the “Geneva II” process offers a unique window of opportunity for a political solution of the Syrian crisis, through negotiations, with the facilitation of Joint Special Representative Lakhdar Brahimi, to whom we lend our full support.
It is the responsibility of Damascus and the Syrian opposition coalition to try to reach a political breakthrough. A breakthrough that is guaranteed through the implementation of the “Geneva I“ Communiqué, on the basis of the creation of a transitional governing body with full executive powers.
For the negotiations to succeed, it is indispensable that trust be built steadily. It is thus essential that Confidence-Building Measures, which would have a direct impact on the daily lives of the Syrian people, be agreed upon without delay.
These should include local ceasefire, lifting of sieges, humanitarian access, release of prisoners, exchange of detainees. They should include protection and support of vulnerable groups – women, children, the wounded, the aged, uninvolved third parties: all the innocent victims of this civil conflict. And they should also ensure the full and equal participation of Syrian women and civil society actors in the Geneva talks and the peace process in general.
Any future elections in Syria should take place only within the framework of the Geneva Communiqué and of the decisions that will hopefully be reached through the Process that has just started.
Regional and international stakeholders, especially those who enjoy direct leverage with either side, should lend their positive influence to the process and commit to the “Geneva I” framework. We call upon them to engage with no hesitation and in full conscience of the decisive importance of the stake.
January 22, 2014