France, US reaffirm commitment to Damascus' political transition Joint statement post-Paris meeting

Syria, France, and the United States have released a joint statement following trilateral talks held in Paris on July 25. 

According to Syria’s state news agency SANA, Syrian Foreign Minister Asad al-Shaybani met his French counterpart Jean-Noël Barrot and US Special Envoy for Syria Tom Barrack in the French capital, days after a ceasefire halted confrontations in Syria’s southern province of Suwayda, Caliber.Az reports. 

In the course of the meeting, al-Shaybani emphasized the importance of international coordination in supporting a political process that preserves Syria’s unity and safeguards the rights of all its communities.

In the joint statement issued after the talks, the parties agreed that they had held “a very frank and productive meeting at a critical moment for Syria.”

The document further notes that the parties agreed to strengthen cooperation in combating terrorism and to promote national reconciliation in northeastern Syria and Suwayda.

The document also reaffirmed commitment to implementing the March 10 agreement with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and ensuring accountability for recent acts of violence.

Following the trilateral meeting, the French Foreign Ministry confirmed plans to host further talks "as soon as possible" which envisions bringing the Syrian government together with the Syrian Democratic Forces "regarding the full implementation of the March 10 agreement.”

As the Middle East Institute recalls, the above mentioned agreement, signed between President Ahmed al-Sharaa and the commander-in-chief of the SDF, stipulated the integration of SDF military and civilian structures into Syrian state institutions, constitutionally guaranteed rights for all groups, established a comprehensive cease-fire, and unified efforts to battle the remnants of Bashar al-Assad’s regime.

By Nazrin Sadigova