Syrian parties should diffuse differences to find political solution: Chinese envoy

A Chinese envoy said Wednesday that parties to the Syrian conflict should diffuse differences in negotiations and find a political solution together.

"The Syrian parties should proceed from the future of the country and the fundamental interests of its people, diffuse differences in negotiations, advance national reconciliation, and gradually find a political solution in conformity with the reality of Syria and taking into account the legitimate concerns of all parties," Wu Haitao, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, told a Security Council meeting about detainees, abductees and missing persons in Syria.

A Syrian man inspects the damages in the town of Khan Sheikhun in the southern countryside of Idlib, Syria, August 4, 2019. [File photo: VCG/ Omar HAJ KADOUR]

Speaking of China's views on the matter, Wu said that "China is concerned with the overall humanitarian situation in Syria and is concerned with the livelihood of the Syrian people."

"Years of conflict resulted in a tremendous need for humanitarian assistance in Syria," he said, adding that economic sanctions made the situation worse for the living conditions of the Syrian people.

"The international community should continue to provide monetary and material assistance to the Syrian people and support the rebuilding effort of the Syrian Government and people," the envoy added.

Wu noted that the international community, in carrying out its humanitarian work in Syria, should fully respect the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of Syria, and strictly follow the Security Council resolutions and the UN humanitarian assistance guidelines.

"Political solution is the only way out for the settlement of the Syrian issue," said the envoy.

"The international community should support the UN in playing its main role of good offices, support special envoy (Geir) Pedersen in his effort to advance the political process in accordance with the Syrian-led and Syrian-owned principle and the Security Council Resolution 2254.

The international community should encourage Syrian parties to voluntarily adopt measures conducive to reconciliation and continuously increase mutual trust, said Wu.

The United States, which made the original request for the meeting, was joined by eight other Council members in calling for it: Belgium, the Dominican Republic, France, Germany, Kuwait, Peru, Poland and Britain.

The idea of organizing a meeting about detainees, abductees and missing persons in Syria has been discussed among Council members since at least September 2018, when it was mentioned as a possibility at a high-level meeting in the margins of the General Assembly's general debate, according to the Security Council Report (SCR), whose mission is to advance the transparency and effectiveness of the Security Council.