Russia, Türkiye and Iran agree to establish Syrian Constitutional Committee
The formation of the Constitutional Committee is expected to make a major contribution to the UN-sponsored peace process, paving the way for Syria to hold presidential and parliamentary elections in the future.
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Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his Iranian and Turkish counterparts Javad Zarif and Mevlut Cavusoglu. Source: Reuters |
The above content was given in a joint statement read by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov after a meeting with his Iranian and Turkish counterparts, Mr. Javad Zarif and Mr. Mevlut Cavusoglu, and UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan De Mistura in Geneva (Switzerland).
The joint statement said the work of the new agency “will be managed in a manner of compromise and constructive engagement.”
Last week, Mr. Mistura announced that the formation of a constitutional committee could pave the way for a political process in Syria. According to Mr. Mistura, the new Syrian constitution could include contents such as the powers of the president, how to organize elections and the separation of powers.
The official also affirmed that the final decision on the establishment of the Constitutional Committee will be made by the United Nations and not depend on any country.
The establishment of the Syrian Constitutional Committee was agreed upon at the Syrian National Dialogue Congress mediated by Russia, Iran and Turkey in the Russian city of Sochi in January 2018. The creation of this committee is expected to greatly contribute to the UN-sponsored peace process, paving the way for Syria to hold presidential and parliamentary elections in the future.
Mr. Mistura has been the UN Special Envoy for Syria since July 2014, and was due to leave his post at the end of November, but he has agreed to stay on for another month to push for a final push toward the formation of a Syrian constitutional committee.
The UN-backed Syrian constitutional committee is expected to have 150 members, divided equally into three groups - one chosen by the government, the second by the opposition and the third by the UN special envoy for Syria./.
