Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — The foreign ministers and representatives of Arab and Western countries, who met in Riyadh on Sunday, discussed the steps to support the Syrian people and provide them with all the aid and support in this critical phase of their history. The discussions also focused on helping Syrians to rebuild their country as a unified, independent and safe Arab state for all its citizens, with no place for terrorism, no breach of its sovereignty or aggression on its territorial integrity from any party, according to a statement issued by the presidency of the Riyadh meetings on Syria.

The participants discussed their support for a Syrian political transitional process represented by Syrian political and social forces that preserves the rights of all Syrians with the participation of various components of the Syrian people. This is also to work to address any challenges or sources of concern for various parties through dialogue and providing support, advice and consultation in a manner that respects Syria's independence and sovereignty, taking into account that the future of Syria is the concern of the Syrians, stressing their support for the choices of the Syrian people and respecting their will.

The ministers also expressed their concern about Israel's incursion into the buffer zone with Syria and the neighboring sites in Mount Hermon and Quneitra governorate, stressing the importance of respecting Syria's unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity.

In his presidential speech, Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan reiterated the Kingdom's condemnation of Israel's incursion into the buffer zone with Syria and the adjacent sites in Mount Hermon and Quneitra governorate, expressing the Kingdom's rejection of this incursion as an occupation and aggression that violates international law and the disengagement agreement concluded between Syria and Israel in 1974. He called for the immediate withdrawal of the Israeli occupation forces from the occupied Syrian territories.

The minister stated that the meeting comes to coordinate efforts to support Syria and seek to lift sanctions on it. He welcomed the decision of the United States of America to issue General License 24 regarding exemptions related to sanctions on Syria. Prince Faisal called on international parties to lift unilateral and international sanctions imposed on Syria, and to begin urgently providing all forms of humanitarian, economic, and capacity-building support for the Syrian state, which will create the appropriate environment for the return of Syrian refugees.

Foreign ministers and officials of the Arab and Western countries gathered in Riyadh in response to an invitation from Saudi foreign minister and in continuation of the ministerial meetings hosted by Jordan in the city of Aqaba on December 14, 2024. Those who attended the meeting included foreign ministers and representatives of Bahrain, Egypt, France, Germany, Iraq, Italy, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Spain, Syria, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the United States of America, in addition to secretary general of the Arab League, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, secretary general of the Gulf Cooperation Council, and the United Nations Special Envoy for Syria.