Arab Contact Group reiterates support for Syrian-led political transition

ANKARA

The Arab Ministerial Contact Group on Syria on Saturday expressed its commitment to supporting a peaceful and Syrian-led political transition that represents all political and social factions.

The Arab Ministerial Contact Group, consisting of Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Lebanon, Egypt, and the Secretary-General of the Arab League, convened on Saturday in Aqaba, Jordan, to discuss the evolving situation in Syria.

In a statement, the group said it will provide all necessary support during this “critical phase” while respecting the will and choices of the Syrian people.

The group underlined the “importance of comprehensive national dialogue” and unity among Syrians to rebuild a “unified, independent, stable and secured Arab state.”

It also condemned Israel’s incursions into the buffer zone with Syria and surrounding areas in Mt. Hermon, Quneitra, and Rural Damascus.

The group called for Israel’s withdrawal from these occupied areas, rejecting its violations of international law and the 1974 disengagement agreement.

It called on the UN Security Council to take “necessary measures to stop these violations.”

Israel captured the buffer zone after anti-regime forces seized Damascus on Dec. 8 and Bashar Assad, Syria’s leader for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia after a 13-year civil war and 53 years of his family rule.

According to the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF), the buffer zone “extends over 75 kilometers in length and ranges in width from approximately 10 kilometers in the center to 200 meters in the far south.”

* Writing by Ikram Kouachi