The recent escalation of violence in northwestern Syria should not hinder the work of the Syrian constitutional committee in Geneva, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov said on Monday
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 25th November, 2019) The recent escalation of violence in northwestern Syria should not hinder the work of the Syrian constitutional committee in Geneva, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov said on Monday.
Last Thursday, Najat Rochdi, the senior humanitarian adviser to the UN special envoy for Syria, said that at least 12 people were killed and 50 others were injured by a missile strike against the Kah camp for internally displaced persons and a subsequent explosion near a maternity hospital in Syria's Idlib province. According to EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, this escalation risks undermining the upcoming intra-Syrian talks within the constitutional committee.
"The committee must work constructively, and we hope that this work will continue despite the attempts by certain forces, which are not interested in its success, to create obstacles. We hope that all those Syrians who partake in the committee will continue their work there in Geneva," Bogdanov said, adding that he hopes that "nothing will hinder the committee's work."
The Syrian constitutional committee is a product of long-standing efforts by international mediators, primarily the United Nations, 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 to work toward drafting a new Syrian constitution. The second round of consultations is scheduled to take place next week.
