De Mistura is not saying unfounded words

This optimistic attitude, which comes for the first time on the lips of the international envoy since his assignment to the Syrian file, means that the international community has committed itself to a solution. It means that the objective conditions for this solution have matured completely, and the man is not saying such words without a foundation. Therefore, the matter requires all Syrians in general to work on the basis of the fact that the political solution is undoubtedly approaching. At the same time, this requires securing the subjective factor, to accelerate the political process, remove the remaining obstacles and complete the remaining elements to move forward in this direction, along with the emphasis on the set of constants and criteria of this process.

The framework of the adopted solution is resolution 2254, as it is, without one-sided jurisprudence, addition, or interpretation of any party, and without preconditions eviscerating it, and compromising its consensual content. This should be taken into account in all aspects of the political process, including the question of forming the one delegation of the Syrian opposition, by taking into account the pluralistic situation in this opposition, away from the logic of containment, domination, and annexation. In this context, the mentality of disregard, exclusion and monopoly - used by the hardliners in the Riyadh platform during the previous stage - have failed and forever. Besides, this reflects the complete freedom from the regional and international influence that hampered the political solution, which may be left with its head again and delay the process, in light of the conflict between the international forces, in many files and squares, although the basic tendency is constant in the context of the new international balance. This requires the need to make the most of the moment, the moment of consensus on the solution. This progress has occurred despite the continuous attempts of disability, and despite the blatant attack on the forces of political solution, both international and local, as one of the forms of this disability, which means that the attempts of these hardliners in various locations, have failed, in the face of the momentum of the process and its necessities, locally in Syria, and regionally, and internationally. So, they exhausted their papers. The new developments would not have been possible had it not been for those creative solutions brought by the Russian ally, through the Astana process and the de-escalation zones. This means that this ally – who took the initiative, and whose role is growing in the new international balance which imposes its rhythm in all squares – is capable of finding solutions to any new problems.

Kassioun Editorial, Issue No 824, August 20, 2017.