It is no secret that the last session of the United Nations General Assembly has clearly demonstrated the change in the international balance of forces, as expressed by Sergei Lavrov, the Russian Foreign Minister: "Numerous problems of the modern time can be resolved only on the basis of equality and mutual respect. Dictate and coercion, so typical of the colonial era, are to be once and for all… left on the ash heap of history".
Last week witnessed two important events. The first is the signing of the Idleb Agreement in Sochi by Russia and Turkey based on Astana's formula. The second is the Zionist aggression on targets in the province of Latakia that led, among other losses, to downing of a Russian reconnaissance aircraft and the killing of 15 Russian military servicemen on board.
A few hours ago [18 September 2018], a statement was issued by the Syrian Negotiating Commission on its position on the recent Russian-Turkish agreement. In what follows is our position on that statement:
Today's summit in Sochi [17th September, 2018] between the Russian and Turkish presidents marked an important and significant step forward towards ending terrorism in Syria as well as towards consolidating the political solution to the crisis. The fourth de-escalation zone has gained greater momentum by becoming co-sponsored by Russia and Turkey, and this will help to get rid of the internationally classified terrorist groups more rapidly. This process will take place in accordance with new ways and methods different from what has been followed in other regions, for several considerations, the most important of which:
The propaganda campaign concerning the ongoing preparations for the restoration of Idleb governorate to the authority of the Syrian state, is continuing and expanding under the banner of caring for the civilians. It is clear that this campaign – in which all the forces of obstruction are involved from the United States to its regional allies, to some Syrian opposition forces – aims to prevent the elimination of the Terrorist organization of Al-Nusra Front, and this is meant to perpetuate the abnormal situation in Idlib, allowing Syria to remain hostage to Western countries, their mined solutions and their own reconstruction projects, to try to freeze the status quo, leading to division and fragmentation, blocking any gaining of the antecedent accrued benefits from the path of Astana to go on toward a political solution.
The meeting of the Big Seven; the disagreements over the final communique; followed by the US president's quick withdrawal from what was agreed upon; then the European and Canadian hints about the possibility of dispensing with USA presence in the group. All of these events made up a new occasion conforming the division of the Western world, and another proof that what is happening is not just a trade war under the title of steel and aluminum, as promoted, or just divergent views on this or that issue, as rumored! What is happening is rather an expression of a deep structural crisis in the entire Western capitalist center, which touches upon its most important economic and political components. In this context comes the behavior of the United States of America against the background of "self-distancing" from the consequences of this crisis. USA actually knows more than others the depth of the crisis, because it is the center of the crisis.
After repeated statements by the president of the united states, about the imminent withdrawal of US forces from Syria, there were frequent talk of the arrival of Arab and European forces, as alternative to US forces stationed in the north of Syria. Moreover, media reports indicated that French troops have already arrived to some locations.
After a week of threats and vows, and launching of inflammatory statements, the forces of the «New Tripartite Aggression» launched raids on military and civilian sites in Syria on Saturday, 14/4/2018, by the same time at which the mission of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) started its work in Syria.
Last week witnessed an unprecedented political and diplomatic mobilisation, both qualitatively and qualitatively, in the context of pushing forward the political process of solving the Syrian crisis: from the meeting of the leaders of the troika (Russia – Turkey – Iran), to the opposition meetings in Riyadh and preparations for the Syrian dialogue in Sochi, in addition to the various international and regional reactions and shuttle visits made by the international envoy. These developments taken together constitute an integrated package, confirming the beginning of a qualitative shift in the course of the Syrian situation as a whole.
A consultative meeting between the three opposition platforms - Moscow, Riyadh and Cairo - took place on Monday (August 21st) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, at the invitation of the High Negotiations Committee.
