AMMAN – On Monday, Jordan will host a meeting of foreign ministers from Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Egypt, and Syria to continue discussions on a solution to the Syrian issue.
Jordan’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Sinan Al-Majali, said on Sunday that the conference in Amman “comes in continuation of the consultative meeting held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on April 14.”
The most recent conversations were aimed at “building on the outcomes of the communications these countries made with the Syrian government within their proposals and the Jordanian initiative to reach a political solution to the Syrian crisis,” he said.
Following the meeting in Jeddah, the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the diplomats discussed the ongoing efforts to find a political solution to the Syrian crisis that would preserve the country’s stability and territorial unity.
The meeting was held by Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan. Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif Al-Zayani, Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman, Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Albusaidi, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein, and Anwar Gargash, the UAE president’s diplomatic adviser, also attended.
According to the Saudi statement, the ministers addressed work processes and emphasized the importance of increased consultations among Arab countries to ensure the success of the peace initiatives.
They also asked for prompt action to address Syria’s humanitarian catastrophe and to establish a conducive climate for aid to reach all sections of the nation.
Meanwhile, Jordan has been working on a joint Arab peace plan that could end the Syrian crisis and reintegrate Syria into the Arab world. Syria’s Arab League membership was suspended in 2011 due to its crackdown on protestors.
Although Jordan has yet to announce any details of the plan, Amman is said to be in talks with its Arab allies as well as key international players in Syria, including the US, Russia, the United Kingdom, the European Union, and the United Nations.
The Jordanian Foreign Ministry declined to comment, but an official source who requested anonymity told Arab News that the peace plan entailed forming an Arab consultation group to discuss a road map for resolving the 13-year-old crisis with the Syrian government.
According to the source, the proposal was based on pertinent UN resolutions on Syria, including Resolution 2254, which mandates that all sides cease fire and engage in formal discussions, and Resolution 642, which permits for the delivery of life-saving humanitarian aid into the nation.
“The Syrian government’s adherence to these resolutions, openness to constructive negotiation with other Syrian parties, the release of prisoners, opening corridors for humanitarian aid, creating a suitable atmosphere to encourage refugees to return home, and tackling the illicit drug industry and trafficking are the major components of the Jordanian-proposed plan,” the person said.
