Positive developments arise from consultation meeting on Syria in Amman

Positive developments emerged from the recent consultation meeting on Syria held in Amman, as Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad and his Jordanian counterpart Ayman Safadi attended the gathering with broad smiles.

The unified final statement issued by the participating countries, which included Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, and Syria, marked a positive step forward. Notably, Syria had been absent from the first consultation meeting held in Jeddah last April.

The final statement laid out a roadmap for resolving the Syrian crisis.

It included strengthening cooperation between the Syrian government and countries hosting refugees and coordinating with United Nations bodies to facilitate the voluntary and safe return of refugees within a clear timeframe.

The statement also called for the withdrawal of all unauthorized foreign forces from Syria and a political solution that preserves the unity and sovereignty of Syria.

Additionally, the ministers agreed to enhance cooperation between Syria and neighboring countries affected by drug trafficking and smuggling across Syria's borders.

However, some sources indicated that implementing these agreements could pave the way for Syria's return to the Arab League, although the Amman statement did not address this issue.

Jordanian FM also confirmed this point, stating in response to an LBCI question that the Amman meeting would not be the first and last but rather the beginning of ongoing discussions to follow up on the outcomes of the final statement.