MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 20th November, 2020) Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held a meeting with UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen in Moscow on Thursday to discuss the work of the UN-facilitated Syrian Constitutional Committee and the issue of unauthorized foreign military presence in the middle East country.
"We hope that the plans that we have agreed with the Syrian parties, including in Damascus, are still being implemented. We feel a special responsibility for the success of this work under your [Pedersen's] leadership. The Constitutional Committee, created at the initiative of the Astana troika [Russia, Iran and Turkey], continues to function, accompanying the process of the Syrian settlement in all aspects, stipulated by UNSC's Resolution 2254 [on a ceasefire and political settlement in Syria]," Lavrov said during the meeting, as quoted by the Russian Foreign Ministry in a press release.
In addition, the top Russian diplomat said that the United Nations Security Council's resolution also calls for respecting Syria's independence and territorial integrity, which is undermined by the military presence of foreign countries without the approval of the government.
Moreover, Lavrov and Pedersen talked about the ongoing situation on the ground in Syria, the country's response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the recent Damascus conference on the return of refugees.
The Syrian Constitutional Committee is a product of long-standing efforts by international mediators to reconcile the Syrian government and opposition. The 150-member body with equal representation of the government, opposition and civil society was launched on October 30, 2019, to work toward drafting a new constitution. The committee recently resumed work after months-long break causes by differences over the agenda and COVID-19.
