UN Security Council reaches ‘milestone’ Syria agreement

The 15-member UN Security Council Friday unanimously approved Resolution 2254 on the Syrian conflict, endorsing a roadmap for a Syrian-led political transition to end the country’s crisis.

The four-year armed conflict in Syria could be wrapped up in less than a year, if foreign aid to terrorist groups were cut in earnest, Syrian President Bashar Assad told the Dutch media ahead of peace talks in NY.

The plan was negotiated in Vienna and would convene talks between Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and opposition groups.

“There was an agreement reached … in the discussions in Paris, that everybody will be better served by honoring one or two or three countries’ perceptions of a group as a terrorist group”, Kerry stated on Friday evening.

Russian Federation reiterated its rejection of calls for Assad’s ouster.

“Despite the important step that we have taken with today’s resolution, despite the progress we have made in Vienna, despite the important steps forward taken at the meeting in Riyadh, there is still a very long way to go”.

The resolution gave the United Nations an enhanced role in guiding the opposing sides to talks for a political transition, with a timetable for ceasefire, a new consitution and elections all under the auspices of the UN.

The Syrian war, which is heading towards its fifth year, has killed more than 250,000 people and displaced millions more, the United Nations says.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told the council that Syria was “in ruins”, singling out besieged areas where “thousands of people have been forced to live on grass and weeds”, which he called “outrageous”.

“Thousands of people have been forced to live in grass and weeds”. “The people of Syria have suffered enough”.

Meanwhile, Finance Minister Omar Malhas commended another Security Council resolution related to combating financing terrorism, noting that the terrorist crimes perpetrated by such organisations prove their followers “seek to destroy shared values”, Petra reported.

The text tasks the United Nations with setting up and implementing a ceasefire across Syria.

It also calls for a transitional government within six months and elections within 18 months.

“I reiterate the readiness of the Syrian government to participate effectively on any honest effort where the Syrians will determine their choices through dialogue under Syrian leadership and not foreign intervention”, he said, adding all countries should coordinate with his government.

Foreign ministers from 17 countries met for more than five hours to discuss the deal. The ministers said they would meet again next month.

Speaking to MPs earlier this week, Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond held out the possibility that the meeting of the International Syria Support Group (ISSG) could produce a text for the council which will not be vetoed by Russian Federation.

Asked about a definition of what constitutes a terrorist organization, Shoukry said that the Syria Support Group (SSG) has been seeking to make a list of terrorist organizations that should be excluded.